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

Kicking off their Europa League campaign, Bayer Leverkusen will welcome Slovenian champions Celje to BayArena on Wednesday for their first league-phase fixture.

Die Werkself are looking for their third win of the season this week, while the Counts are desperate to avoid a thrashing after a difficult month.

Match preview

Carles Martinez Novell's Leverkusen have made a mixed start to 2026-27, but will be hoping to lean on their attacking prowess to collect an important three points.

Die Werkself hammered Wehen Wiesbaden 4-0 in the DFB-Pokal on August 22, setting the tone for an ongoing four-match run in which they have scored at least twice in every game.

Martinez's side were beaten 3-2 by Elversberg in their Bundesliga opener, though they bounced back by battering Union Berlin 4-0 on September 5, courtesy of goals from four different players.

That victory served to show the variety of attacking options available to Leverkusen, yet they were held to a 2-2 draw by Augsburg last time out, surrendering an early lead and requiring an 89th-minute equaliser from Patrick Schick to salvage a point.

Keen to see their team get back to winning ways on Wednesday, the Werkself faithful at BayArena will be buoyed by the hosts' impressive record at the ground, which features just two defeats on home turf since January.

Meanwhile, new Celje manager Zoran Zeljkovic is set for a tough debut in the dugout after former boss Vitor Campelos left the club on Monday.

The Counts' club president held a meeting with Campelos at the start of the week, and it has been reported that they decided to part ways after irreconcilable differences were brought to light.

Fans of the visitors - who were already the underdogs on paper - will be looking for reasons to be optimistic ahead of Wednesday's showdown, but the reality is that they are in dire form.

Celje were downed 2-1 by NK Bravo on Saturday, a frustrating defeat that means the club have lost four of their last five outings across all competitions.

However, the more optimistic amongst the travelling support would highlight that the Slovenian champions have been marginally better on the road recently, tasting defeat in just two of their last five away clashes, and winning twice.

Bayer Leverkusen form (all competitions):

Celje form (all competitions):

Team News

Leverkusen are without a number of players in central areas, including 17-year-old defensive midfielder Kennet Eichhorn, who continues to deal with a mitochondrial disorder, as well as the more attack-minded Nathan Tella, who is recovering from a back injury.

Eliesse Ben Seghir is also a doubt with a thigh issue, so expect to see Equi Fernandez and Aleix Garcia start behind Ibrahim Maza in the middle third.

Die Werkself right wing-back Montrell Culbreath is working his way back to full fitness following a foot injury, but Jarell Quansah will be ready to operate on the right of a four-man defence alongside Facundo Medina, Edmond Tapsoba and Miguel Gutierrez.

As for Celje, they are missing suspended midfielder Andrej Kotnik, though Papa Daniel and Mark Zavukovnik should be on hand to start in the double pivot, with Svit Seslar in the number 10 role.

Elsewhere, Darko Hrka and Artemijus Tutyskinas look set to line up at the heart of the visitors' defence, flanked by full-backs Pijus Sirvys and Milot Avdyli.

Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:

Flekken; Quansah, Medina, Tapsoba, Gutierrez; Fernandez, Garcia; Diaby, Maza, Moreira; Schick

Celje possible starting lineup:

Leban; Sirvys, Hrka, Tutyskinas, Avdyli; Daniel, Zabukovnik; Dukuly, Seslar, Kvesic; Kucys