Bayer Leverkusen vs Olympiakos: Champions League Stats & Head-to-Head Analysis
Bayer Leverkusen and Olympiakos are set to clash in an exciting UEFA Champions League matchup. The two teams have faced each other four times in this prestigious tournament, with each holding two victories. Notably, Leverkusen won the only encounter hosted in Germany, achieving a 2-0 victory in October 2002.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Olympiakos: Historical Context
Olympiakos has struggled in away matches against German teams. They have only won one out of eleven encounters in European competitions, recording a draw once and losing nine times. Throughout these matches, they have scored just five goals while conceding twenty-four.
Knockout Stage Statistics
- Only two teams have progressed after losing a home leg by two or more goals in Champions League history:
- Manchester United against Paris SG (2018-19)
- Ajax against Benfica (1968-69)
- Bayer Leverkusen has successfully advanced from 20 of their 22 knockout stage ties after winning the first leg.
- The team’s two eliminations occurred against Atlético Madrid in 2014-15 and Udinese in 1999-00.
Recent Performance
In their first leg, Olympiakos suffered a 2-0 defeat at home. However, they have not faced elimination without scoring in both legs of a knockout round since the 2012-13 season. They lost to Levante in the UEFA Europa League, failing to score in both matches.
Despite their struggles, Olympiakos enters this match with momentum, having secured victories in their last two matches against Kairat and Ajax. They aim to achieve three consecutive away Champions League wins for the first time in the club’s history.
Kasper Hjulmand’s Management at Bayer Leverkusen
Kasper Hjulmand, head coach of Bayer Leverkusen, boasts a win percentage of 44.4% in UEFA Champions League games, the highest of any manager with the club. Under his guidance, Patrik Schick has scored four goals in just seven appearances in the competition.
Key Player Insights
- Patrik Schick’s goal-scoring record under Hjulmand: one goal every 107 minutes.
- In contrast, he scored only once in 27 appearances under other managers, averaging a goal every 1,552 minutes.
Defensive and Attacking Metrics
In the current UEFA Champions League season, Olympiakos leads the league in high-intensity pressures, recording 3,533, and high turnovers, totaling 102. In the first leg against Bayer Leverkusen, they made 497 high-intensity pressures, ranked second highest this season.
Aleix García of Bayer Leverkusen stands out with 142 line-breaking passes, second only to Vitinha, who recorded 146.
As the two teams prepare to meet again, both sides will be looking to make their mark in the Champions League history books.
