With the aim of having a major impact on the Champions League after the record performances of last season, Bayer Leverkusen will meet Feyenoord on Thursday evening.

The German champions will face last season’s Eredivisie runners-up at the start of their league phase and the typically tense atmosphere is expected at De Kuip.

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Feyenoord, crowned Dutch champions for the 16th time in 2023, had to settle for second place behind PSV Eindoven last season, although their final point tally was two points higher than when they reached the top spot 12 months earlier.

The Rotterdam club received the KNVB-Beker as consolation, but the championship coach Arne Slot went to Liverpool and new manager Brian Priske was brought in from Sparta Prague.

So far, the Danish coach has only managed one win in four league games. His tenure began with a penalty shootout victory over Ajax in the Johan Cruijff Shield. After losing the win in Groningen last week, his team are already nine points behind PSV.

Feyenoord will now be taking part in two consecutive Champions League campaigns for the first time since 2002. The club has only been there twice in the past 22 years. Their aim is to reach the knockout stages of the competition for the first time ever – despite winning the European Cup in 1970.

Last season, Slot’s side finished third in Group E before being relegated to the Europa League, losing to old rivals Roma on penalties in the knockout playoffs. This was the third consecutive year they were knocked out of Europe by the Giallorossi, including a loss in the first Europa Conference League final.

Facing some difficult matches in this season’s revamped league phase, Feyenoord will be glad to begin their latest campaign at De Kuip, where they have lost just one of their last 18 European matches and won 14 times.

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The only blemish on an otherwise flawless 2023–24 season was Bayer Leverkusen’s loss to Atalanta BC in the Europa League final, narrowly missing out on their goal of adding another European trophy to their 1988 UEFA Cup triumph.

That year, the Werkself defeated Feyenoord in the third round to win the title. To date, this remains the only competitive match between the two clubs.

Last season, Leverkusen won praise for their tireless performances and last-minute heroics in both the Bundesliga and the European Cup. And although they ultimately lost to Atalanta, they had already won their first German title and later added the DFB-Pokal.

Xabi AlonsoThe stylish side also finished top of their Europa League group with maximum points before overcoming three teams, including Roma, to reach the final. The defeat in Dublin was their only loss in 53 matches in all competitions, 43 of which ended in victory.

Leverkusen is only appearing in the Champions League for the third time in eight seasons. The last season was two years ago. Back then, the club finished third in their group but then slipped into the Europa League. There they reached the semi-finals, but lost to none other than Roma.

The 1-0 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico was the German team’s only loss in their last 11 away European matches – a period that also saw them win seven. Although they slipped up against Leipzig recently, Xabi Alonso and Co. are confident of making a good start in midweek.

Ultimately, they want to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time since 2017. And having shed their old nickname “Nie-kusen” forever, they may even believe it is possible to reach the final in Munich.

Feyenoord form (all competitions):

Bayer Leverkusen form (All competitions):

Team News

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However, Arne Slot was pursued by a Dutch defender from De Kuip. Lutsharel Geertruidawho recently moved to Leipzig, Feyenoord has signed the star striker Santiago Gimenezwhich is expected to begin with a storm on Thursday.

Summer arrivals Jordan Lotomba And Hwang In-beom Both could be there, but influential midfielders Calvin Stengs is out due to a knee injury and is on loan as a left-back Hugo Bueno has been out of action since last month due to muscle problems.

Austrian central defender Gernot Trauner – who suffered a thigh injury at the 2024 European Championship – returned to the first team on Saturday and is likely to start on the bench.

Leverkusen arrives in Rotterdam without any major injury concerns and Xabi Alonso should be able to rely on a full squad, which Exequiel Palacios passes a fitness test.

Therefore, Victor Boniface – who scored a brace in the Bundesliga at the weekend – and Patrick Schick fight for a place at the top, while Robert Andrich And Alex Garcia compete for partner captain Granit Xhaka in midfield.

Without doubt, Florian Wirtz finally make his Champions League debut: In the last four Europa League seasons, the German striker has been involved in more goals (12 own, 12 assists) and created more chances (88) than any other player.

Possible starting eleven for Feyenoord:
Wellenreuther; Lotomba, Beelen, Hancko, Smal; wood, Zechiel; Nieuwkoop, Nadje, Paixao; Gimenez

Possible starting eleven for Bayer Leverkusen:
Kovar; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Andrich, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Terrier, Wirtz; Boniface

We think: Feyenoord 2-3 Bayer Leverkusen

Both teams have gained a wealth of experience at various levels of the UEFA competition pyramid in recent times and are therefore ready to offer a thrilling spectacle on Matchday 1 of the Champions League.

With Leverkusen having a tactical master on the bench and a far greater variety of players on the bench, the team will return home with maximum points and leave Feyenoord empty-handed.

Click here to see a data analysis of the most likely outcomes, scores and more for this match.

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