The Matchday 8 clash in the 2024/25 Champions League group stage between Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) and Sparta Prague (Czech Republic) will take place on January 29 at the BayArena in Leverkusen. Bayer Leverkusen vs. Sparta Prague: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Bayer Leverkusen
In the previous round, Xabi Alonso's side suffered a 1-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid. This loss marked their second in the Champions League group stage (4 wins, 1 draw). The club is currently in 8th place in the standings with 13 points. Notably, Bayer has already secured their place in the Champions League playoffs and has a good chance of qualifying directly for the Round of 16. To enhance their chances of achieving this goal, the Germans need to win the upcoming match.
Forwards Martin Terrier and Amine Adli, along with defender Janoel Belocian, will miss the game due to health issues. Additionally, key defender Piero Hincapie will be absent due to suspension.
- The team has drawn the first half in 5 of their last 7 home games in this tournament.
- At least one team failed to score in 7 of Bayer's last home matches in the Champions League.
Sparta Prague
Lars Friis's side lost 0-1 to Inter Milan in the previous round. This result extended the club's losing streak to five matches in the Champions League. Sparta is in 29th place in the standings and is already out of contention for the tournament's playoffs. Notably, they have conceded 19 goals in the group stage, with only four other teams in this European competition having a worse record.
Main defender Matej Ryneš, forwards Albion Rrahmani and Indrit Tuci, along with midfielder Angelo Preciado, will not play due to health issues.
- The club has scored in 5 of their last 6 away games in the Champions League.
- At least three goals have been scored in 4 of Sparta's last 5 matches in this tournament.
- The team has not conceded more than two goals in 5 of their last 7 away games in the Champions League.
Predicted lineups for Bayer Leverkusen vs. Sparta Prague
Bayer Leverkusen (4-4-2): Matej Kovar – Alejandro Grimaldo, Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, Nordi Mukiele – Aleix Garcia, Robert Andrich, Granit Xhaka, Arthur – Florian Wirtz, Patrik Schick.
Sparta Prague (3-4-3): Peter Vindahl-Jensen – Asger Sorensen, Filip Panak, Martin Vitik – Jaroslav Zeleny, Kaan Kairinen, Lukas Sadilek, Tomas Wiesner – Veljko Birmancevic, Victor Olatunji, Kazim Laci.
Referee: Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria)
Matches – 9 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 46;
Average yellow cards per match – 5.1;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 0%.
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Sparta Prague: Match Prediction
Lars Friis's side has looked lackluster in this Champions League campaign. The club has lost 5 of 7 matches, securing their only victory at home against Salzburg (3-0). On the road, they managed to grab points only in a match against Stuttgart (1-1). Notably, Sparta's away games rarely result in high scores – opponents have scored no more than four times in 20 of their last 23 away matches in this tournament.
In the clash with Sparta Prague, Leverkusen will aim for victory and should not face significant challenges in achieving this goal. However, it is unlikely that Bayer will score a large number of goals. In home Champions League matches, the club tends to focus on solid defense: they have kept clean sheets in their last 4 home games in this tournament. The team's cautious defensive approach impacts their scoring – Bayer has not scored more than two goals in 9 of their last 10 home matches in this tournament.
I predict that Xabi Alonso's side will secure three points in the upcoming match, but the game itself is unlikely to be overly high-scoring. My prediction: Home win and Total under 4.5 goals
