Bayer Leverkusen will put its 100 percent UEFA Champions League record at risk against French debutants Brest, who are also still perfect, on Wednesday (kick-off: 6:45 p.m. CEST).

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Leverkusen: Kovář – Mukiele, Tah (c), Hincapie, Grimaldo – Palacios, García – Wirtz, Hofmann, Tella – Schick
Brest: Bizot – Lala, Chardonnet (c), Coulibaly, Haïdara – Camara, Lees-Melou, Magnetti – Del Castillo, Ajorque, Sima

First corner of the game

A long rally runs to Tella on the right who wins the first corner of the game. Grimaldo falls short and plays a one-two, but his subsequent attack comes to nothing.

Leverkusen invites you to print

Hincapié gives the ball away at the back but Brest cannot capitalize on it. However, the French press well.

First chance

The opening chance of the game goes to Leverkusen. Tella plays the ball over the right side and crosses into the goal. The ball is passed to García on the edge of the penalty area, but his powerful shot is blocked.

And here we go!

Leverkusen sets off here in Brest.

Big threat from the bench

Brest could breathe a sigh of relief that Martin Terrier is on the bench in his first game in France since joining in the summer. With his former club Rennes he has a goal streak in three games against Brest and could have the chance to extend it tonight.

Big day for Kovář

This is Matěj Kovář's Champions League debut. The Czech goalkeeper regularly represented Lukáš Hrádecký in the Europa League last season, but this is his first game in the top flight.

© IMAGO/Dennis Ewert/RHR-PHOTO

More Wirtz magic?

Wirtz, the Bundesliga's player of the season, was questionable for this game due to an injury he sustained against Germany. Nevertheless, he returned against Frankfurt and played a role in Leverkusen's decisive victory. As of today, the 21-year-old is expected to be ready for immediate action.

A familiar face up

Leverkusen will be eyeing Brest's outstanding striker Ludovic Ajorque, who is on loan from Mainz. After scoring three goals for the 05ers last season, he has already registered two goals and two assists in France.

© IMAGO/Gerhard Schultheiss

More about these teams

Only Tah, Hincapié and Grimaldo remain in their places after Leverkusen's 2-1 win against Frankfurt. Brest make just three changes from their 1-1 draw with Rennes, with Amavi and Ndiaye coming off at the back for Coulibaly and Haïdara, while Sima comes on for Pereira Lage up front.

© IMAGO/Norbert SCHMIDT

Brest starts in the starting eleven

Bizot – Lala, Chardonnet (c), Coulibaly, Haïdara – Camara, Lees-Melou, Magnetti – Del Castillo, Ajorque, Sima

Brest submarines

Coudert, Jauny, Ndiaye, Fernandes, Doumbia, Camblan, Baldé, Faivre, Amavi, Pereira Lage, Martin, Salah

Leverkusen starts XI

Kovář – Mukiele, Tah (c), Hincapié, Grimaldo – Palacios, García – Wirtz, Hofmann, Tella – Schick

Leverkusen substitute player

Hradecky, Lomb, Andrich, Terrier, Tapsoba, Arthur, Adli, Frimpong, Xhaka, Onyeka, Belocian

Alonso on Victor Boniface

After it was announced that the Nigerian striker was involved in a car accident, Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso commented on the absence of his star striker this evening: “It is purely a precautionary measure. Physically he's fine, but we want to take it easy on him. After the accident, it is primarily about Victor Bonifatius as a person and not about the player. It was a serious matter and a shock for both of them and for all of us. You were lucky. Something like this can happen to anyone at any time. We’ll see how he’s doing when we get back.”

© IMAGO/Heiko Blatterspiel

1:21

Can Schick take advantage of the opportunity to shine?

He scored five goals on Leverkusen's route to the UEFA Europa League final last season. Can the Czech international striker shine in the Champions League spotlight?

Boniface doubts

After his late heroics against Frankfurt, Boniface suffered injuries to his hand in a car accident and did not travel to France. Patrik Schick should therefore be at the top.

© IMAGO/Dennis Ewert/RHR-PHOTO

Adli about the game against Brest

Leverkusen's French-born midfielder Amine Adli has a better understanding of the threat Brest poses to his team this week. “As a Frenchman, I know it won't be easy to play against a team like that in Guingamp,” he said. “But it will be a nice game and I hope we can take all three points home.”

© DFL/Getty Images/Leonhard Simon

Brest coach Éric Roy on “tough” tests

The hosts have surprised many by taking two wins out of two and their coach Éric Roy knows his team has big challenges ahead, starting with Leverkusen. “We know some of the next games will be tough,” Roy said. “However, I don’t approach these games any differently. Quite the opposite.”

2:03

Watch: Leverkusen 2-1 Frankfurt

Victor Bonifatius scored again as Leverkusen came from behind to beat Frankfurt.

Domestic form

Brest have won three, drawn one and lost four of their first eight Ligue 1 games and are currently in 11th place. Leverkusen have won four of their first seven games, drawn two and lost one, putting them in fourth place.

Clash of the unbeatens

Leverkusen and Brest are two teams who have a 100% record in the Champions League so far, making for an exciting clash between two sides hoping to remain unbeaten. Brest beat Austrian sides Sturm Graz and RB Salzburg, while Leverkusen triumphed against Feyenoord and AC Milan.

3:32

The Alonso revolution

Brest may be adept at catching opponents off guard, but Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso has forged a squad of iron winners that can never be counted out. The Werkself have only lost once in ten games this season (3:2 against Leipzig on matchday 2) and have already secured one title – the DFL Supercup (6:5 against Stuttgart).

Bonjour

One player in Xabi Alonso's team is no stranger to Brest's surprise squad: Martin Terrier, who came to Leverkusen from Rennes – Les Pirates' Brittany derby rivals – in the summer. The elegant attacking midfielder scored three goals and one assist in his eight league games against Brest (he previously played for Rennes and Lyon) and has a good chance of a starting place in Guingamp.

© IMAGO/Oliver Zimmermann

Wirtz on the road to recovery

There are doubts about Bayer's Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz suffering an ankle injury while on international duty, but the 21-year-old appears to be recovering quickly after coming off the bench against Eintracht at the weekend and is being traded. that he can continue his season with six goals and one assist (across all competitions) on Wednesday.

© IMAGO/Gladys Chai von der Laage

Surprise!

Although Bayer Leverkusen have never played against French club Brest before, both teams have one thing in common: they should not be underestimated! Like Xabi Alonso's historic Bundesliga champions, Brest also played wildly last season and secured a place in the continent's top competition for the first time ever. And like Leverkusen, the Pirates have won both games so far this season. An exciting duel as second and fourth hosts at the Stade du Roudourou in Guingamp on Wednesday…

© IMAGO/kolbert-press/Marc Niemeyer

Welcome!

Thank you for your participation in the preparation and live coverage of Bayer Leverkusen's third UEFA Champions League game of the 2024/25 league phase away in Brest on Wednesday.

Last

Leverkusen have made a perfect start to their return to the Champions League, entering matchday three as one of seven teams with two wins from two games, having beaten Feyenoord and AC Milan without conceding a single goal. They go into this duel with a morale-boosting 2-1 win over the in-form Eintracht Frankfurt and want to keep up on all fronts this season. Robert Andrich and Victor Boniface were both on the scoresheet in this clash, but the latter has since suffered injuries to his hand in a car accident, which will likely result in Patrik Schick starting in France. Xabi Alonso is otherwise in good health for this game, and Florian Wirtz is also back in the starting line-up after coming on as a substitute against Frankfurt. In fact, Jonathan Tah, Piero Hincapié and Álex Grimaldo are the only players to retain their places while Alonso makes sweeping changes, as he usually does in European competition. Players like Jeremie Frimpong and Granit Xhaka are among the substitutes.

After a historic 2023/24 season that saw them qualify for continental football for the first time in their history, Brest have struggled to juggle their commitments this season and their form in Ligue 1 has suffered. However, they were victorious in their first two Champions League games, with the 4-0 away win in their last game at Red Bull Salzburg being particularly eye-catching. At the Stade du Roudourou – the Pirates have to play their European games this season at local rivals Guingamp's stadium instead of the Stade Francis-Le Blé – they will have to do without key player Abdallah Sima, who has already scored three Champions League goals this season. due to a problem with the thigh muscles. Bradley Locko will also be unavailable due to an Achilles tendon problem, but coach Éric Roy otherwise has a full squad to choose from as his team look to continue their fairytale journey, led by Mainz loanee Ludovic Ajorque.

Regard: Bayer Leverkusen – Eintracht Frankfurt 2:1 – highlights

Game statistics

• Leverkusen have only lost two of their last 63 games in all competitions.
• The Werkself are unbeaten in their last three games in France, winning two and drawing one.
• Leverkusen have won seven of their 13 games against French opponents, losing four and drawing the other two.
• This will be Brest's first ever game against a German club and this season marks Brest's first participation in European competition.
• Soumaïla Coulibaly previously played for Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
• Leverkusen have yet to concede a goal in this season's Champions League.