Bayer Leverkusen vs Nuremberg – News and Probable Lineups

Bayer Leverkusen will aim to enhance their impressive season by adding a cup run when they face Nuremberg from the 2. Bundesliga at BayArena in the DFB-Pokal’s second round on Wednesday.

Die Werkself are looking to recover from their recent defeat, while Die Legende are in search of their first victory in four matches, coming in as the underdogs.

Match overview

Having had a shaky start in the Bundesliga, Leverkusen has been establishing itself as a competitive team under Carles Martinez Novell.

Die Werkself faced a 3-2 loss against Elversberg in their opening match of the top flight, and it is safe to say that facing defeat against a promoted side is not the best way to welcome a new head coach.

Nonetheless, Martinez Novell’s team responded well with an eight-match unbeaten streak across all tournaments, including an impressive six-match winning run with four of those ending in clean sheets.

This impressive run was halted last Sunday when Leverkusen suffered a surprising 3-0 defeat against Hoffenheim away from home, conceding several late goals to die Kraichgauer.

Determined to get back on course midweek, Die Werkself will hope for a repeat performance from their first-round DFB-Pokal win against Wehen Wiesbaden, where they registered a solid 4-0 victory on August 22.

On the other hand, Nuremberg, managed by Miroslav Klose, has demonstrated a comparable level of resilience this season and will definitely present a challenge to their hosts on Wednesday.

Die Legende started their campaign with a nine-match unbeaten streak across competitions, securing six victories in that period.

Similar to Leverkusen, Klose’s squad had their winning run come to an end this past weekend, suffering a narrow 1-0 loss to Kaiserslautern.

Nevertheless, Nuremberg is still in second place in the 2. Bundesliga and firmly in contention for promotion, and with their status as one of the stronger teams in the league, they will be eager to prove their capabilities.

That said, the visiting team narrowly advanced 5-4 on penalties against Viktoria Koln after a 1-1 draw in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, and without a win in three matches – dating back to mid-September – supporters might have concerns.

Team News

Leverkusen will miss Moussa Diaby and Martin Terrier due to hamstring injuries, while winger Eliesse Ben Seghir is struggling with a muscle problem and striker Christian Kofane is dealing with a thigh issue.

In their absence, Ibrahim Maza could shift to the left flank, with Malik Tillman expected to join the starting XI as a number 10, and Nathan Tella slated to operate on the right behind striker Patrik Schick.

Additionally, 17-year-old defensive midfielder Kennet Eichhorn is on the road to full recovery after stabilizing his metabolic disorder, enabling Ezequiel Fernandez and Aleix Garcia to likely continue in Leverkusen’s double pivot.

Right-back options Montrell Culbreath and Guela Doue are also absent due to foot and calf injuries, yet Jarell Quansah will be prepared to start.

As for Nuremberg, their defensive lineup is slightly compromised, with centre-back Mikayil Faye and left-back Kristian Mandic unavailable, while Finn Otto was taken off against Kaiserslautern, so Alexios Kalogeropoulos and Styopa Mkrtchyan might be joined by Tim Janisch and Eric Porstner in Klose’s defence.

Furthermore, midfielder Finn Becker is unavailable, and left winger Mohamed Ali Zoma is recuperating from a dislocated shoulder, but Adam Markhiev and Javier Fernandez should be set to start in midfield, with Rayan Ghrieb and Rafael Lubach on the flanks.

Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:

Bayer Leverkusen probable starting XI

Blaswich; Quansah, Tapsoba, Medina, Gutierrez; Garcia, Fernandez; Tella, Tillman, Maza; Schick

Nuremberg possible starting lineup:

Nuremberg probable starting XI

Reichert; Janish, Kalogeropoulos, Mkrtchyan, Porstner; Markhiev, Fernandez; Ghrieb, Justvan, Lubach; Scobel

While Leverkusen may have faltered in their last match, there is optimism for a return to winning form against lower-league competition.

Nuremberg is in contention for promotion from the 2. Bundesliga this season and has shown resilience thus far, yet it would be surprising to see them progress on Wednesday.