Currently top of our chart for projected points (18) in the league phase of the Champions League, Liverpool face potentially their stiffest test tonight.
Their 1-0 away win over another German side, RB Leipzig, last time out lifted their chances of direct round-of-16 qualification, via a top-eight finish, to 79 per cent, only behind Manchester City’s 81 per cent.
Their only loss so far this season did come at Anfield (1-0 to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League in mid-September), though another seemed possible over the weekend when Ferdi Kadioglu gave Brighton & Hove Albion a 1-0 half-time lead.
Second-half strikes from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah completed a comeback, however, and added to the belief that Arne Slot can land silverware in his first season at the club.
Alonso’s team drew 1-1 away to surprise package Brest in their previous fixture to remain unbeaten in the 2024-25 Champions League with seven points.
While their attack, led by the talented Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface, is firing again, 15 goals conceded in their nine Bundesliga matches suggests their defence can be got at.
Two of Leverkusen’s remaining four league-phase games after this one are at home against struggling duo Red Bull Salzburg and Sparta Prague, so a point tonight would be valuable for them.
GO FURTHER
Champions League projections: Analysing the key fixtures coming up in matchweek four