The second leg of the 2025/26 Champions League play-off tie between Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Germany) and Olympiakos Syndesmos Filathlon Peiraios (Greece) will take place on 24 February at the BayArena in Leverkusen. The first leg ended 2:0 in favour of Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs Olympiakos Syndesmos Filathlon Peiraios: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
A Patrick Schick brace, scored inside three minutes, earned Bayer 04 Leverkusen victory in the first leg (2:0). That earlier defeat to Olympiakos Syndesmos Filathlon Peiraios in the league phase remains the only loss for the home side in their last six Champions League matches (four wins, one draw). What is more, for the fourth time in that run, the hosts kept a clean sheet. At the other end, Bayer 04 Leverkusen have looked sharp too: the club have scored at least twice in five of their previous seven games in this tournament. To reach the last 16, the German side can even afford to lose the return leg by a one-goal margin.
- At least one of the teams failed to score in five of Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s last six matches in this European competition.
- On home soil, the team have failed to win four of their last five Champions League matches (two draws, two defeats).
- The Leverkusen club opened the scoring in seven of their last nine home Champions League games.
Potential Bayer 04 Leverkusen Lineup (3-4-3)
Janis Blaswich – Robert Andrich, Jarell Quansah, Edmond Tapsoba – Alejandro Grimaldo, Ibrahim Maza, Aleix Garcia, Exequiel Palacios – Malik Tillman, Patrick Schick, Ernest Poku.
Goalkeeper Mark Flekken and midfielders Eliesse Ben Seghir and Nathan Tella are injured.
Olympiakos Syndesmos Filathlon Peiraios
The defeat in the previous match ended the Greek side’s run of three straight Champions League wins. Moreover, for the first time in their last seven games in this tournament, the visitors failed to find the net. Those untimely finishing issues have seriously complicated Olympiakos Syndesmos Filathlon Peiraios’ hopes of reaching the last 16 for the first time since the 2013/14 season. In the second leg, the Greeks must beat Bayer 04 Leverkusen by a margin of at least three goals, and their most recent big Champions League win dates back to 2019. If Olympiakos Syndesmos Filathlon Peiraios win by two goals, the tie will go to extra time.
- No more than three goals were scored in five of the club’s last six Champions League matches.
- Away from home in this tournament, the team have avoided defeat in five of their last seven matches (three wins, two draws).
- The Greeks scored in seven of their last eight away Champions League games.
Potential Olympiakos Syndesmos Filathlon Peiraios Lineup (4-5-1)
Konstantinos Tzolakis – Rodinei, Julian Biancone, Panagiotis Retsos, Bruno Onyemaechi – Mehdi Taremi, Santiago Esse, Chiquinho, Christos Mouzakitis, Gelson Martins – Ayoub El Kaabi.
Referee
Michael Oliver (England)
Matches – 11 (international fixtures, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second bookings) – 47;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.3;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 0%.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs Olympiakos Syndesmos Filathlon Peiraios: Match Prediction
Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s task in the second leg is to protect the advantage they have built. Given the German side’s results and form, they should not run into major issues here. On home soil, the team have avoided defeat in eight of their last 10 Champions League matches (five wins, three draws), with the losses coming against European heavyweights Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. The Greeks have picked up away wins in the 2025/26 Champions League, but Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side earned those results against opponents who had already ended their involvement in the tournament. Against two teams from the top five European leagues, Olympiakos Syndesmos Filathlon Peiraios lost away from home without offering much resistance.
The Greeks will try to turn the tie around and will push forward. However, a defence that is not particularly reliable will be even more vulnerable in that scenario. In four away matches in the current Champions League campaign, Olympiakos Syndesmos Filathlon Peiraios have conceded nine goals. The Leverkusen club, meanwhile, have not struggled with their finishing: the Germans scored at least twice in five of their last seven Champions League games. In fact, in the first leg the club could have scored more than two goals.
Prediction: Bayer 04 Leverkusen double chance + Over 1.5 goals
