Why Bayer Leverkusen will beat Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League
Kasper Hjulmand's Bayer Leverkusen will have more than just momentum on their side when they visit Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
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There are few things more satisfying for football followers than seeing a team grow over time - and Leverkusen fans have certainly been treated in that regard in recent months.
Having failed to win any of their first three league-phase matches in the Champions League, Bayer toppled Jose Mourinho's Benfica in Lisbon last time out, consolidating the generally upward trend under Hjulmand.
After grinding out an unbeaten six-match Bundesliga run after the Dane took over from Erik ten Hag in September, Leverkusen have become notably more fluent in attack, thumping Heidenheim 6-0 after the Lisbon trip and winning 3-1 in Wolfsburg this past weekend.
A big factor in their renewed attacking power is the return from injury of Patrik Schick, who followed up his winning goal at Benfica with a brace against Heidenheim to make it seven goals in all competitions so far this season.
While the Czechia strike star might not garner as much attention as City's former Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland, he is capable of scoring bursts every bit as ferocious as the Norwegian.
In fact, Schick's tally of 21 Bundesliga goals last term was just one short of Haaland's 22 in the English Premier League, despite the Leverkusen man playing over 1,000 fewer minutes.
Watch: All of Patrik Schick's Bundesliga goals
In addition to what Schick brings to the table, the experience and goals of left-back Alejandro Grimaldo and midfielder Jonas Hofmann have been key to Leverkusen's smooth transition to a new era on Hjulmand's watch.
Just ask the likes of Christian Kofane, Ibrahim Maza, Ernest Poku, Jarell Quansah and Malik Tillman - youngsters getting minutes and thriving at the BayArena. Add the more seasoned Loïc Badé to the equation, and it's little wonder Hjulmand's charges are among Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich's closest pursuers approaching the halfway stage of the campaign.
Watch: Leverkusen's rising stars
Hjulmand's man management skills are ticking all the boxes, while his philosophy of dominating possession and winning the ball back quickly - a not too disimilar approach to Guardiola's - has the current crop purring.
While Bayer perhaps do not pack the same star power as City, their collective strengths alongside the individual quality at their disposal makes them capable of taking points off the very best in the business.
Another positive showing - Bayer have won nine and drawn three of 14 competitive games, losing only two - would propel them right back into contention for qualification to the knockout rounds.
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