A clash between the reigning champions of Germany and Italy will draw global gaze on Tuesday evening, as Bayer Leverkusen play host to Inter Milan in the Champions League.
Inter are one of three teams still unbeaten in the league phase and lead Leverkusen by three points in the standings - with both on track for an automatic place in the last 16.
Match preview
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Seeking new heights after securing a first Bundesliga title and claiming the DFB-Pokal for good measure, Leverkusen aim to reach the Champions League's knockout rounds for the first time since 2016 and ultimately challenge for the trophy.
Xabi Alonso's side sit sixth in the table after five rounds, having put 10 points on the board so far: last time out, they bounced back from a 4-0 loss in Liverpool by thumping Red Bull Salzburg 5-0 on home turf, with star man Florian Wirtz bagging a brace before half time.
Defeat at Anfield was one of only three in Die Werkself's last 25 European matches - of which they have won 16 - and such a run of results took them all the way to last term's Europa League final.
Indeed, Leverkusen have now won seven of eight home games in UEFA competition since the start of last season, outscoring their opponents by 21 goals in the process.
Unbeaten in 11 continental contests at the BayArena, the German champions also made it five straight wins across all competitions with a 2-1 home victory over Bundesliga strugglers St Pauli on Saturday, when Wirtz opened the scoring.
Alonso's side had previously progressed to the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals by beating league leaders Bayern Munich 1-0, in a game that saw their hosts reduced to 10 men after just 17 minutes.
While they are third in the Bundesliga standings, and still within striking range of Bayern, they have conceded 20 goals in their first 13 league fixtures - just four fewer than throughout the whole of their miraculous 2023-24 campaign.
That will be a concern for their demanding manager, who has already led Leverkusen to one home win against Italian opposition in this season's Champions League: after conquering AC Milan on the second matchday, a clash with the Rossoneri's city rivals now awaits.
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Inter have prevailed in all three past meetings with Tuesday's hosts, who they last faced in the Champions League during the 2002-03 campaign. Having done the double over Leverkusen in the group stage, the Milan giants went on to reach that season's semi-finals.
Crowned European champions for the third time seven years later, they then came close to adding a fourth trophy to a well-stocked cabinet in 2023; after missing out to Manchester City then, the Scudetto holders are now looking in great shape to challenge for glory next summer.
The Nerazzurri have won their last four league phase games without conceding a single goal, and last month's defeat of another German side, RB Leipzig, took them into second place on 13 points.
Firmly on course for a cherished top-eight finish, Inter - who started off with a 0-0 away draw against City - would become the first team to keep a clean sheet in each of their first six matches if they can keep Leverkusen at bay for 90 minutes.
Since claiming their 20th Serie A title last season, Simone Inzaghi's side have lost just once in 19 matches this term - a painful slip-up versus city rivals Milan back in September - and they are currently involved in an enthralling race for first place.
Friday's 3-1 victory over Parma at San Siro means that Inter have scored three or more goals in half of their 14 league fixtures so far, and such a potent attack will surely put Leverkusen's back line to the test.
Team News
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Xabi Alonso's recent response to losing to two strikers has been to deploy Florian Wirtz as a false nine, and Bayer Leverkusen's Basque boss could do the same on Tuesday night.
Patrik Schick had scored six goals in four matches - including a hat-trick against Heidenheim - before suffering a calf injury, while Victor Boniface has not played since returning from international duty with a thigh problem. Furthermore, Jonas Hofmann and Amine Adli are still sidelined.
Nonetheless, Wirtz has scored the opener in three different Champions League games this season - the joint-most of any player, alongside Milan's Christian Pulisic - and will be backed up by a midfield featuring captain Granit Xhaka; Alex Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong should supply support from out wide.
Meanwhile, Inter's brief injury list features Denzel Dumfries, Benjamin Pavard and Francesco Acerbi, but the latter has resumed partial training and could be back on the bench.
Recently named Serie A's 'Coach of the Year', Simone Inzaghi also welcomed Carlos Augusto and Davide Frattesi back into the fold at the weekend, leaving Pavard and back-up goalkeeper Raffaele Di Gennaro as his only confirmed absentees. Some rotation could therefore be in store.
As ever, the Nerazzurri's three-man midfield will be helmed by set-piece specialist Hakan Calhanoglu, who played for Leverkusen between 2014 and 2017, scoring 28 goals in 115 appearances during his time at the BayArena.
Between the posts, former Bundesliga regular Yann Sommer has kept a clean sheet in 75% of his Champions League games for Inter since signing from Borussia Monchengladbach (nine out of 12 so far); that is the highest rate of any goalkeeper to make 10 or more appearances in the competition.
Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:
Kovar; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Garcia, Grimaldo; Wirtz, Tella
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni; Darmian, Frattesi, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Thuram, Taremi
We say: Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Inter Milan
While Leverkusen may finally penetrate Inter's rock-solid rearguard, their lack of a conventional striker could cost them a chance to defeat their Italian counterparts.
The Nerazzurri are past masters at soaking up pressure, and they have both the composure and confidence to strike hard on the counter.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
