Bayer Leverkusen hosts Nice in round 1 of the Europa League group stage. The match will be played on Thursday, October 22nd at BayArena (Leverkusen)
Bayer played in this tournament last season, although it was previously eliminated from the Champions League after finishing third in its group. However, Bayer reached the Europa League quarterfinals where it lost to Inter. On the way, the Germans knocked out Porto and the Scottish Rangers, which are by no means weaker than the upcoming rival. In the starting season, the Red-Blacks are not impressive so far. Bayer won only two times in seven matches, including a friendly game with Anderlecht and a cup match. Nevertheless, it did not lose in any of them. In terms of the roster, the team is one of the strongest in Germany and is much superior to the upcoming opponent in skills. Diaby, Alario, Gradecki, Bailey, Aranguis, Tabsoba, and Baumgartlinger play for their national teams, and the Dutchman Sinkgraven played for Ajax in the Champions League semifinals against Tottenham and in the Europa League final against Man United.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Given the composition of the group, Nice may well advance to the playoffs. In addition to these teams, there are also Prague Slavia and Israeli Hapoel. Nevertheless, the Eaglets are ordinary middle peasants even by the standards of the French championship. In the 2016-2017 season, they climbed to the bronze step of the podium for the first time in 44 years. They have not taken part in European cups for the last two seasons. In general, Nice played two times in the group stage of the Europa League, and the progress from the group was the highest achievement. Three years ago, Lokomotiv Moscow knocked out the Eaglets in the first round of the playoffs. The squad of Nice is not full of stars, and it is very young. There are 15 players aged 19 to 24.
With such a talent pool, it is too early for the French to compete with Bayer, which is much more experienced in terms of games in European Cups. A higher class and the presence of remarkable experience of the Germans will affect the course of the meeting and its result. The rivals have not met before. And I think the first meeting will end in the hosts’ victory.
Prediction for the match: Bayer Leverkusen to win
