Bayer Leverkusen vs Marseille – News and Probable Lineups

Bayer Leverkusen’s flawless Europa League campaign faces another challenge as Marseille heads to BayArena for their fixture on Thursday.

The home side has secured three wins out of three in the competition so far, accumulating nine points which places them second in the league-phase standings, while Marseille, in stark contrast, sits at the bottom with no points in 34th place.

Match overview

Leverkusen’s last outing in the Europa League resulted in a 2-0 win over OFI Crete on October 22, bringing their total goals scored in the tournament to eight, alongside three clean sheets.

Following that, Carles Martinez’s team has played three matches across all competitions, suffering two defeats in the Bundesliga while securing a 5-2 victory over Nurnberg in the DFB-Pokal on October 28.

Their most recent result was a 4-2 defeat in the league against Stuttgart on Saturday, leaving them in sixth place in the Bundesliga with 13 points after eight rounds.

Die Werkself’s encounter with Stuttgart marked the end of their perfect home record, as they had previously won all five of their games at BayArena in the current season.

Throughout their matches at home, Leverkusen conceded seven goals yet managed to keep three clean sheets in the first three encounters.

Marseille’s journey this season has been anything but smooth, though they seem to be gaining momentum in Ligue 1 with victories in their last four matches.

The French side currently holds sixth place in the table with 15 points out of a possible 27, closely trailing behind second-placed Lille by just three points and five points adrift of leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

Head coach Bruno Genesio faced significant pressure at the beginning of the campaign due to a rough start of five losses amidst a single win, but he has since guided the team to four wins in six encounters.

In those six fixtures, Les Olympiens netted 13 goals, although they also conceded seven times, managing only two clean sheets.

Marseille’s away form has been poor for a while, as they have lost seven of their last ten away matches, including four defeats in six this season.

Team News

Bayer Leverkusen is contending with several attacking injuries, as forwards Eliesse Ben Seghir, Martin Terrier, Christian Kofane, and Moussa Diaby are all unavailable.

The hosts may be forced to position Lucas Vazquez, Ibrahim Maza, and Afonso Moreira in a supporting role behind striker Patrik Schick.

With right-back Guela Doue out for a few weeks, Jarell Quansah, a former Liverpool defender, is expected to take the right flank.

On the other hand, for Marseille, left-back Emerson Palmieri narrowly avoided a serious injury against Toulouse on Sunday, yet Ulisses Garcia could be in the lineup on Thursday.

Midfielders Tochukwu Nnadi, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Himad Abdelli are expected to work together and support striker Amine Gouiri.

Bayer Leverkusen probable starting XI:

Spots; Quansah, Medina, Tapsoba, Gutierrez; Fernandez, Garcia; Vazquez, Maza, Moreira; Schick

Marseille probable starting XI:

De Lange; Weah, Egan-Riley, Aguerd, Garcia; Nadi, Hojbjerg, Abdelli; Harit, Gouiri, Paixao

Leverkusen may have struggled for steady performances in domestic competitions, but they have displayed exceptional form in Europe thus far.

Despite facing injury issues, the hosts should still feel confident in their chances against Marseille, who have consistently struggled on the road in recent months.