Bayer Leverkusen vs. Atletico Madrid preview: Team news and predicted lineups
Crisis-hit Bayer Leverkusen face Atlético Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.
After falling to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Club Brugge in Belgium last week, Bayer Leverkusen will be aiming to open their Champions League points account when they welcome Atletico Madrid to the BayArena on Tuesday.
Pressure is mounting on Leverkusen coach Gerardo Seoane after winning just one of eight competitive games so far this season. A 2-2 draw with Hertha BSC over the weekend even saw 'Die Werkself' slip into the relegation zone.
At the pre-match press conference, Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapié didn't shy away from the fact that Leverkusen are struggling at the moment.
"As a team and as a club, we're going through a difficult time in terms of sport. As a team, we deal with criticism openly, because we want to improve each other. We are very motivated and working hard," Hincapie told reporters.
Sitting next to Hincapié, Leverkusen coach Gerardo Seoane expressed respect for Atleitco Madrid, who are coming off wins against FC Porto and Celta Vigo, and said his team must improve in both areas of the pitch to get something out of the game.
"Atletico is one of the top clubs in Europe, with great success in the league and internationally. They are compact and aggressive, which makes them difficult to play against. We have to be patient and take our chances," said Seoane.
"We have to be even more consistent in both penalty areas and there must be total determination. We have to be resolute in the duels and stand up to them."
Team News
Florian Wirtz, Amine Adli, Karim Bellarabi, Exequiel Palacios and Andrey Lunev will miss out for Leverkusen due to injuries.
Stefan Savic, Sergio Reguilon and Jose Maria Gimenez are injured for Atletico, while Felipe is suspended. On the bright side for the La Liga side, Jan Oblak should be fit enough to play after being included in the squad.
Click here to check out our predicted lineups.