Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen, the most effective groups of the 2023-24 season, will meet AC Milan on Tuesday throughout Matchday 2 of the UEFA Champions League’s league phase on the BayArena. The German facet, after profitable the Bundesliga previously season, changing into one of many few unbeaten golf equipment within the historical past of the match, misplaced 3-0 within the UEFA Europa League last to Atalanta. They began off the 2024-25 season by winning 4-0 against Feyenoord within the first sport of the European match. Paulo Fonseca’s workforce, however, struggled loads within the opening video games of the season and likewise lost 3-1 to Liverpool in the Champions League’s opener, however when issues appeared to go within the worst course potential, the Rossoneri managed to win the Derby della Madonnina towards Inter and received 3-0 towards Lecce over the previous weekend. Let’s now check out the 2 rosters and evaluate them:
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Goalkeeper
Lukas Hradecky or Mike Maignan?
French goalkeeper Mike Maignan might be the most effective round Europe, and he confirmed it over the previous three seasons his worth and his particular person performances had a direct affect on the workforce. Then again, Lukas Hradecky was one of many key gamers of the thrilling Bayer Leverkusen run within the 2023-24 Bundesliga, when the Germans ended up unbeaten within the league. If we contemplate the protection normally, Bayer have a extra stable one in comparison with AC Milan, however the person comparability tends extra for the French goalkeeper.
Decide: Maignan
Left-Again Offensive Menace
Grimaldo or Theo Hernandez?
Grimaldo was one other one of many faces and icons of the Bayer Leverkusen run over the previous season, and was positively was the most effective gamers round Europe as he scored 12 targets and supplied 20 assists in 52 video games performed in all competitions final yr. Numbers that do not should be underlined and defined. The Xabi Alonso tactical method helped Grimaldo to play as a offensive participant, greater than a defender similar to Theo Hernandez, the most effective left-backs round Europe. So, if we have to contemplate solely the offensive risk, the selection is quiet simple.
Decide: Grimaldo
Proper Aspect Hazard-Man
Jeremie Frimpong or Christian Pulisic?
Whereas Jeremie Frimpong, alongside Grimaldo and Florian Wirtz, was the face of the profitable Bayer Leverkusen run during the last yr, Christian Pulisic had a wonderful begin of the brand new season. America males’s nationwide workforce winger scored 5 targets and supplied two assists in his first seven video games of the season in all competitions, persevering with to impress after a constructive first season within the Italian Serie A. He is positively a very powerful participant for Fonseca as of at the moment, contemplating the disappointing performances of different key gamers similar to Rafael Leao.
Decide: Pulisic
Dynamic Duo
Wirtz and Boniface or Leao and Pulisic?
On the subject of the dynamic attacking duo, the story is totally different. Sure, Leao and Pulisic are two of the very best Serie A gamers, and their expertise is just not even questioned, however Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface are most likely the most important cause for the latest success of the workforce coached by Alonso. The Nigerian striker scored 21 targets in 34 video games final season, whereas the German expertise scored 18 targets and supplied 20 assists final season, and he already scored six targets within the first seven sport of the 2024-25 season. We already talked about the numbers of Pulisic, whereas Leao solely had one purpose and 4 assists within the opening seven targets of the season. Numbers that talk for themselves for this comparability.
Decide: Wirtz and Boniface
Coach
Xabi Alonso or Fonseca?
It’s kind of unfair to match the work of Xabi Alonso with that of Paulo Fonseca, because the Rossoneri supervisor was solely appointed this summer time and began a brand new cycle on the membership. After some preliminary struggles, plainly he is now again on monitor after profitable the final two video games towards Inter and Lecce, but it surely’s nonetheless too early to evaluate his work. On the opposite facet, we have the most effective managers round Europe who received the primary Bundesliga title within the historical past of Bayer Leverkusen final season as unbeaten within the match.
Decide: Xabi Alonso
The right way to watch and odds
- Date: Tuesday, October 1 | Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
- Location: BayArena – Leverkusen, Germany
- Watch: Paramount+
- Odds: Bayer Leverkusen -125; Draw +200; AC Milan +320
Do not miss any of the Champions League. As at all times, you may catch all of our protection throughout Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network all season lengthy.
