Preview: Bayer Leverkusen vs Olympiacos - prediction, team news, lineups

Battling for a coveted spot in the Champions League's round of 16, German side Bayer Leverkusen will welcome Greek giants Olympiacos to BayArena on Tuesday for the second leg of their knockout playoff.

Die Werkself hold a 2-0 lead from the first leg, though Thrylos will be sure to give their all to fight back in midweek.

Match preview

Kasper Hjulmand's Leverkusen will be confident of progressing to the round of 16 after seizing an advantage on the road, but they will need to be wary of a familiar, desperate opponent.

Die Werkself are in strong form overall having won six of their eight most recent matches across all competitions, though they were downed 1-0 by Union Berlin on Saturday, failing to respond to Rani Khedira's first-half opener.

That defeat has left Hjulmand's men sixth in the Bundesliga, and it remains to be seen whether the club will be able to qualify for next season's edition of the Champions League.

While they are still fighting in UEFA's premier competition this term, fans will be hoping to see their team at least match their 2024-25 showing that saw Leverkusen reach the round of 16, only to be hammered 5-0 on aggregate by domestic rivals Bayern Munich.

With that goal in mind, supporters heading to BayArena will be buoyed by the fact that Tuesday's hosts have won four on the bounce at home prior to this clash, not to mention that Die Schwarzroten impressively kept clean sheets in each of those games.

Meanwhile, Jose Luis Mendilibar's Olympiacos started the league phase poorly, losing two of their first three in the Champions League, but they reached the playoffs after closing out the round with three straight victories.

Notably, that run included a 2-0 triumph over Leverkusen back on January 20, a result that is sure to give Thrylos some hope of overturning the two-goal deficit in this second leg.

However, it would be fair to say that the Greek Super League side have stumbled in the month since, given that they come into Tuesday's showdown with just one win from their last four games across all competitions.

To make matters worse, Mendilibar's men failed to score in three of those contests, losing twice and drawing once, though they were able to find their feet in a 2-0 victory against Panetolikos on Saturday.

Fans will be hoping that Olympiacos can use their win at the weekend as a springboard for continental success, and considering that the visitors are unbeaten away from home since a 6-1 defeat at the hands of Barcelona in late October - a streak of 10 games that includes seven wins - those making the trip would be forgiven for being cautiously optimistic.

Bayer Leverkusen Champions League form:

Bayer Leverkusen form (all competitions):

Olympiacos Champions League form:

Olympiacos form (all competitions):

Team News

Leverkusen will be without goalkeeper Mark Flekken due to a knee injury, while centre-back Loic Bade has a hamstring issue, so expect to see Janis Blaswich between the sticks on Tuesday, shielded by a trio of Jarell Quansah, Robert Andrich and Edmond Tapsoba.

Elsewhere, attacking midfielder Nathan Tella has a foot injury that is anticipated to keep him out of action until next month, when left-winger Eliesse Ben Seghir is also likely to return from his ankle injury.

In the meantime, Ibrahim Maza and Ernest Poku should be on hand to support striker Patrik Schick up top, with Lucas Vazquez and Alex Grimaldo providing width from wing-back.

As for Olympiacos, they have a comparatively healthy squad to choose from in midweek, though midfielder Theofanis Bakoulas remains sidelined as he continues to work his way back from a ligament injury.

With that in mind, Christos Mouzakitis and Santiago Hezze are likely to start in the centre of the park for the visitors, platforming a front four featuring Mehdi Taremi, Gelson Martins, Daniel Podence and Ayoub El Kaabi.

Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:

Blaswich; Quansah, Andrich, Tapsoba; Vazquez, Palacios, Garcia, Grimaldo; Maza, Poku; Schick

Olympiacos possible starting lineup:

Tzolakis; Costinha, Retsos, Biancone, Ortega; Hezze, Mouzakitis; Martins, Taremi, Podence; El Kaabi

We say: Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Olympiacos (Leverkusen to win 3-1 on aggregate)

Leverkusen may have been beaten by Union at the weekend, but their overall form and impressive home record suggests that they are likely to hold out and progress on Tuesday.

That being said, Olympiacos have proven capable of beating Die Werkself this term, and given the strength of their away showings, they will be a tough opponent.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.