Bayer Leverkusen vs. Inter Milan: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Leverkusen need to win this more than the visitors do, so expect them to spend the majority of the game on the front foot. Inter, though, are really tough to break down, as seen by their games against Manchester City and Arsenal this season, and the fact they've yet to concede a goal in the Champions League this season.

Leverkusen have lost only one at home since May 5th 2023, so it's unlikely they're going to fall to a defeat here, but they might struggle to impose themselves in Inter in the way they often do to other sides in the Bundesliga. Leverkusen 1-1 Inter.

One of the more intriguing ties of this week’s Champions League lineup sees the champions of Germany, Bayer Leverkusen, take on the champions of Italy, Inter Milan.

• Date: 10/12/2024
• Kick-off time: 19:45
• Location: BayArena, Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen enter this game 3rd in the Bundesliga, seven points behind leaders Bayern Munich, and 6th in the Champions League table. All in all, it’s been a solid start to the season for Leverkusen, even if they have suffered a clear decline from last season. A dropoff was always going to happen following an unbeaten league season that saw them claim a domestic double and reach the Europa League final, so considering where they currently stand, they should be fairly satisfied.

Especially in the Champions League, Leverkusen have been pretty impressive. A 4-0 defeat at Anfield aside, Leverkusen have picked up some good results and if they can pick up four points from their remaining three games - which are Inter (H), Atlético Madrid (A) and Sparta Prague (H) - they’ll probably qualify for the next round automatically. They’ve no doubt been helped by a much easier run though, with Liverpool and Inter their only really tough tests in the entire schedule.

Leverkusen’s season so far has been starred by Florian Wirtz, who is only going from strength to strength. The 21-year-old is, quite honestly, one of the best players on the planet, and there’s a high chance that this will be his last season in Leverkusen. Wirtz has ten goals, including five in five in the Champions League, and five assists this season, and whatever Leverkusen achieve between now and the end of the campaign, Wirtz’s fingerprints will likely be all over it.

Beating an Inter side that are very well-versed in the intricacies of European football will be a big job, but a draw would be a pretty good result for the home side here, so they’re not under too much pressure for this one.

Inter’s season has followed a somewhat similar pattern to that of Leverkusen. The reigning Champions of Serie A, Inter are currently 3rd in the league table, but better than that, they’re 2nd in the Champions League. With four wins and one draw from five games, Inter have almost certainly sealed their place in the knockout round of this season’s competition.

Inter reached the final of this competition in 2022-23, and last season they were knocked out by Atlético Madrid in the last 16 in a game they really should have won, so they’ll no doubt feel as though they have unfinished business in the Champions League.

Inter’s squad has barely changed in the last few seasons, and it’s extremely impressive that Simone Inzaghi is still able to extract the level of performance out of a very similar core group of players, many of whom are ageing. The star of the opening few months of this campaign has been Frenchman Marcus Thuram, who has 11 goals and three assists in all competitions.

It’ll be a tough ask for Inter to go deep in this competition given their lack of depth in attacking areas, but they’re very strong defensively so they’re almost always very competitive. A point here would all but seal their place in the knockout stages, so don’t expect them to go all out for the win.

This game will be televised live to all subscribed UK viewers on TNT Sports 2.

Bayer Leverkusen Team News:

The home side will be without Victor Boniface, Patrik Schick, Amine Adli and Jonas Hoffman, all of whom remain injured.

Florian Wirtz will likely continue playing in an extremely advanced role in the absence of a recognised striker.

Predicted lineup: Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapié; Arthur, Palacios, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo; Tella, Wirtz.

Inter Team News:

Benjamin Pavard, Francesco Acerbi and Raffaele Di Gennaro are all out injured for the visitors.

With Inter sitting in such a strong position, Simone Inzaghi could make changes to his starting lineup amidst a packed schedule.

Predicted lineup: Sommer; Bissek, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Frattesi, Zieliñski, Dimarco; Thuram, Taremi.

Bayer Leverkusen are coming into this game in great form, with five wins from their last five games. On Saturday, goals from Florian Wirtz and Jonathan Tah saw them beat St. Pauli 2-1, which followed a 1-0 win over a ten-man Bayern Munich side thanks to a goal from substitute Nathan Tella.

Before that, Jeremie Frimpong and Patrik Schick each scored in a 2-1 win away at Union Berlin, which came after a 5-0 win over RB Salzburg in this competition - with the goals coming from Wirtz (X2), Álex Grimaldo, Schick and Aleix García - and a 5-2 win over Heidenheim, courtesy of a Schick hat-trick and goals from Exequiel Palacios and Granit Xhaka.

Inter also come into this game amidst an excellent run of form, with four wins and one draw from their last five games. Inter's most recent game was a 3-1 win at home to Parma, with Federico Dimarco, Nicolò Barella and Marcus Thuram scoring the goals.

Prior to that, a first half own goal gave Inter a 1-0 win over RB Leipzig in this competition, which was preceded by a 5-0 win away at Verona thanks to goals from Joaquín Correa, Marcus Thuram (x2), Stefan de Vrij and Yann Bissek.

Those results followed a 1-1 draw with Napoli and a 1-0 win over Arsenal in the Champions League, where Hakan Çalhanoğlu scored a penalty.

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