Bayer Leverkusen vs Celje

Bayer Leverkusen enters this fixture with a solid home record, having won four of their last five home matches, including a 4:0 win over Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on September 5 and a 2:2 draw away to FC Augsburg on September 12. Their attacking threat is highlighted by P. Schick, who has recorded four goals and one assist over the matches we hold player statistics for, while goalkeeper M. Flekken has made six saves. Celje has struggled on the road recently, losing their last away match 1:2 to Bravo on September 12, though they did secure a 2:0 victory against Aluminij on September 2. Across the two matches where player statistics are available, Milot Avdyli and Svit Sešlar have each scored one goal for Celje, while goalkeeper Žan-Luk Leban has registered seven saves.

• Bayer Leverkusen's high attacking volume, averaging 23 shots per match over the covered period against Celje's 14.
• Bayer Leverkusen is without J. Hofmann, K. Eichhorn, and M. Culbreath, three of the seven players reported out or in doubt.
• Celje is without A. Kotnik and J. Pisek, the two players reported out.
• Bayer Leverkusen has shown a clinical edge in the second half, scoring eight goals compared to four in the first half over the covered matches.

Bayer Leverkusen looks better placed given their superior attacking output and strong home form, anchored by the goalscoring of P. Schick, who has four goals over the listed matches. While Celje has shown flashes of resistance, their inconsistency and defensive record on the road present a challenge. With Žan-Luk Leban, who has seven saves over the listed matches, tasked with anchoring the Celje defence, Bayer Leverkusen appears to have the edge in this opening fixture.

The league table is not available for this competition, leaving us without information on the current standing of either side.