Profiling Bayer Leverkusen


Celtic take on German side Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday evening as the Hoops attempt to get their first points on the board in the Europa League. In this article, I’ll be profiling the latest visitors to Glasgow’s east end. 

Leverkusen currently occupy second place in the Bundesliga and have lost just one competitive game this season. That came at the hands of Borussia Dortmund as the sides played out an enthralling seven goal thriller at the BayArena; a match which ended 4-3 to the visitors. Leverkusen have won every other competitive game this season apart from against Union Berlin on the opening day of the Bundesliga where they drew 1-1. On match day one of the Europa League, Leverkusen picked up a narrow 2-1 victory over Ferencvaros. Their most recent match was yet another slender win, once more, one goal the difference but against Mainz. 


Their manager is Swiss Gerardo Seoane who previously was in charge of Young Boys. Seoane was the manager of the Swiss side when they knocked Bayer Leverkusen out of last season’s Europa League at the round of 32 stage. The Eternal Bridesmaids, this season at least, have predominantly lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation; Patrick Schick is the focal point up top with Moussa Diaby causing problems out wide and Florian Wirtz roaming in behind the striker; Wirtz will undoubtedly cause whoever is playing in the holding role for Celtic on Thursday serious quandaries. Jeremie Frimpong is the club’s foremost right back. Celtic fans will be synonymous with the Dutchman after he made fifty-two appearances for the club between 2019 and 2021. Frimpong has four assists in eight appearances in all competitions so far this season and is on hot form as he prepares to face his former club. Leverkusen have scored a number of goals on the counter attack this season and also averaged 2.7 goals per match in their six Bundesliga matches; the only clubs higher than this are Borussia Dortmund and record champions Bayern Munich. Scottish Celtic fans will know all about Patrick Schick after he scored a double at Hampden during the Euros. The Czech striker is a key player for Bayer Leverkusen having scored four goals in six Bundesliga games in 21/22. We’ve looked at their strengths so let’s now examine possible weaknesses in the Bayer Leverkusen side Celtic could look to exploit. 


Captain and goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky has averaged the most saves per match in the Bundesliga this season, with 4.2. The Finland International made a crucial stop that denied Mainz a point at the BayArena on Saturday. This save came after Marcus Ingvartsen’s head met the cross of Anton Stach and I feel cross balls are an area Celtic could look to punish Bayer Leverkusen in. Three out of the last six league goals Bayer Leverkusen have conceded came from crosses. Against Augsburg, Mitchel Bakker failed to deal with a ball from the left hand side and Florian Niederlechner pounced; Erling Håland scored an outstanding header from Thomas Meunier’s cross on Bundesliga match day four and when Leverkusen faced Stuttgart, the second phase caught them out after Kostantinos Mavropanos’ header was saved but Orel Mangala tapped in on the rebound. As well as crosses, discipline has been a slight issue for Bayer Leverkusen this season. They have conceded the joint most amount of penalties in the Bundesliga this campaign with two and also have had the greatest amount of yellow cards in the German top flight this season; seventeen Leverkusen players have been booked in the league in 21/22. 


Bayer Leverkusen’s squad value is around five times that of Celtic’s according to Transfermarkt. The Germans spent approximately £47.5 million in the summer transfer window compared to Celtic’s £20 million. In the latest transfer window, Leverkusen most notably acquired the services of promising Ivory Coast centre back Odilon Kossounou, 21 year old attacker Amine Adli and two players who were previously linked with Celtic in Mitchel Bakker and Piero Hincapie. Evidently, the club generally target, young, upcoming talent with the view to selling them on for a large profit. The average age of the players recruited by Leverkusen this summer was 21.7. The average age of the squad in its entirety is just 24.2. The academy is also a palatial part of Bayer Leverkusen. Players such as Kai Havertz have came through the ranks at the club and went on to achieve greatness. Florian Wirtz is another player who looks destined to go on to procure ample success in football. We’ll talk about Leverkusen’s danger man in further detail subsequently. 


Danger man - Florian Wirtz

It is safe to say 18 year old Florian Wirtz has been on fire for Bayer Leverkusen this season. The German has an immense four goals and four assists in five Bundesliga games so far this campaign. These stats have helped Wirtz become the youngest ever player to reach ten Bundesliga goals at 18 years and 145 days; a record which was previously held by Lukas Podolski. Wirtz plays in the number ten role, in behind the striker. He scored the winner for Bayer Leverkusen in their most recent match against Mainz with a right footed shot which found the bottom left corner through a sea of bodies after he combined superbly with Jeremie Frimpong. Wirtz has incredibly averaged a goal contribution every thirty-seven minutes in the Bundesliga this season and will be aiming to add to his three career Europa League goals on Thursday. 


The last time Celtic faced German opposition was in this very competition against RB Leipzig. The Hoops were defeated 2-0 in Germany before winning 2-1 at Celtic Park. A similar home result against Leverkusen would be a mammoth one for Ange Postecoglou and his men.  


Overall, Bayer Leverkusen will provide the toughest test Postecoglou will have faced so far in his tenure as Celtic manager. The Germans will be confident and looking to make it two wins in as many games in the Europa League this season. 

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