Why Bayer Leverkusen will advance against Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League
After counting Manchester City among their impressive league phase scalps in the UEFA Champions League, Bayer Leverkusen have what it takes to see of Greek champions Olympiacos over the two legs of the knockout stage play-off and progress to the last 16.
Big-game pedigree
Finishing 16th among the 36 teams in the group stage marked a decent achievement for a Leverkusen squad that spent much of the autumn gelling after a huge amount of player turnover last summer.
There were some terrific results gained along the way too - most notably a 2-0 win at English Premier League giants Manchester City, a 1-0 victory at Benfica and a 2-2 draw against another Premier League outfit, Newcastle. Given that two of the three wins for Olympiacos came against sides finishing in the bottom five (Kairat Almaty and Ajax), the Werkself have arguably shown they can go a gear higher in the competition.
Top-class squad
Leverkusen are brimming with quality all over the pitch too - with Jarell Quansah, Loïc Badé and Edmond Tapsoba forming a first-class back three which earned a clean sheet in Lisbon (with Tapsoba replaced by Jeanuël Belocian in the shutout in Manchester).
The ever-dependable Alejandro Grimaldo has provided four goals and an assist already in this season's Champions League, including a trademark free-kick strike in a 2-2 draw in Copenhagen.
Experienced forward Patrik Schick spearheads an exciting set of attacking options along with young talents such as playmaker Ibrahim Maza, winger Ernest Poku and striker Christian Kofane.
Watch: Grimaldo: Leverkusen's beating heart
With Leverkusen carrying a relatively light injury list ahead of the first leg, they have numerous players capable of making a decisive impact at either end of the pitch and options from the bench.
It will be quite a Trojan effort for Olympiacos to keep pace, especially as they are one of the oldest squads in the competition (with their starting XI averaging 29.7 years old in a 0-0 draw against Pafos on the opening matchday in September).
Home advantage when it matters
While the two spots the Bundesliga side finished above their opponents in the final league phase standings was a narrow gap, it is significant.
Finishing just within the top eight play-off spots in 16th gives Leverkusen home advantage in the second leg, meaning however they fare on the admittedly difficult trip to Piraeus, they can finish the job in front of their own fans at the BayArena on 24 February.
The 2-0 win for Olympiacos when the sides met on Matchday 7 of the league phase would naturally give the Greek outfit confidence, but it may not actually harm Leverkusen's chances.
One-off defeat
The 17 chances Leverkusen fashioned would likely be enough for a win on most nights, while the eventual defeat gives Kasper Hjulmand and his youthful side vital knowledge of the threat posed by the Greek champions, and no doubt has sparked a few ideas on how to perform better this time.
With Hjulmand managing to outfox both Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho already in Europe this season, Leverkusen can be confident of knocking out Olympiacos and making the last eight - with a huge tie against either Bayern Munich or Arsenal the prize.
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