Spearheaded by the in-form Florian Wirtz and Patrik Schick, Bayer Leverkusen can take a big step towards automatic progress to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 with a win away at Atlético Madrid on Matchday 7 of the league phase on Tuesday (kick-off: 9pm CET).

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Leverkusen made it 11 straight wins and 12 games without defeat in all competitions with their 3-1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday. Wirtz grabbed a brace, with the red-hot Schick netting the third, making it 12 goals in eight games for the Czech striker, although the Werkself lost Martin Terrier to injury inside 10 minutes and for the remainder of the season. Xabi Alonso's side remain hot on the heels of Bayern Munich, sitting four points behind Vincent Kompany's side and five clear of third place Eintracht Frankfurt. Leverkusen have been in equally impressive form in Europe, losing just one game in this campaign so far. That loss came at Liverpool in November - their sole away reverse of 2024 - and was followed by two wins and two clean sheets against Red Bull Salzburg (5-0) and Inter Milan (1-0). In total, Die Werkself have kept a clean sheet in four of their six Champions League games this season, showing that they're just as impressive at the back as they are going forward. They currently sit fourth in the standings on 13 points, five points off Liverpool at the top and one point ahead of 11th-placed Atleti.

Atlético are going strong domestically too, topping the LaLiga table until Sunday when overtaken by local rivals Real Madrid. Prior to the weekend's 1-0 defeat away to Leganés, they had won eight games on the bounce, keeping five clean sheets and scoring 18 goals to fire them into first place. Antoine Griezmann (seven) and former RB Leipzig man Alexander Sørloth (eight) are their top scorers domestically, while Julián Alvarez leads the way in Europe with four goals from four games. They've lost two of their opening six Champions League games, falling short against Benfica (4-0) and Lille (3-1). Apart from those two hiccups, Atleti have looked assured, winning the remaining four games and scoring 13 times in the process, with just three goals being conceded. Their position in the Champions League table is somewhat misleading, as six teams lie level on 13 points and a further four (including Diego Simeone's men) sit level on 12 points.

Watch: Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach - highlights

Match stats

• Wirtz has five goals in six Champions League games this season. Ahead of Matchday 7, only Robert Lewandowski (seven), Raphinha and Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy (both six) have more.
• Leverkusen are Germany’s highest-placed team after six matches in the revamped Champions League. They are the only one of five currently on course to qualify directly for the last 16.
• Bayer have met Atleti on 10 previous occasions in UEFA competition, including eight Champions League fixtures. They’re unbeaten in their last three (W2, D1) and have only lost twice in normal time.
• Alonso faced Simeone’s Atlético four times as a player in the Champions League - all with Bayern (W2, D2).
• Leverkusen’s head coach won the Champions League as a player with Liverpool (2004/05) and Real Madrid (2013/14).
• Axel Witsel made 105 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund between 2018 and 2022, while Sørloth has the experience of 30 German top-flight outings in Leipzig colours (five goals).

Probable teams

Altético: Oblak (c) - Molina, Le Normand, Lenglet, Gil - Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Lino - Griezmann, Alvarez
Out: Giménez (muscular), Sørloth (muscular)
Doubtful:
Coach: Diego Simeone

Leverkusen: Hrádecký (c) - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapié - Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo - Tella, Wirtz - Schick
Out: Adli (broken leg), Belocian (cruciate ligament), Terrier (Achilles)
Doubtful: Boniface (thigh)
Coach: Xabi Alonso

LIVE blog!

VS

Atlético

Tue, 21.01 20:00

Leverkusen

Champions League
League phase, Matchday 7 League phase, Matchday 7 Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid

2:59

Florian Wirtz watch

No doubt Atlético coach Diego Simeone will be warning his players to keep close tabs on Bayer 04 star Florian Wirtz. The Germany attacking wizard is lighting up the Bundesliga and Champions League this season and as well as 17 goal involvements in the former, his five goals in European club football's top competition has the 21-year-old among the competition's top scorers.

3:28

Schick danger

With 12 goals in his last eight Bundesliga games, striker Patrik Schick represents a real threat at the Metropolitano Stadium on Tuesday. The Czech forward's latest goal came on Saturday in Bayer's win against Gladbach.

Alonso's Atlético links

Bayer coach Xabi Alonso has a storied history against Atlético having lined out against them 16 times (winning 12) as a Real Madrid player and even scoring against the Spanish side while at Bayern Munich. The latter goal came in a 2016 Champions League semi-final, which Atleti won on away goals.

© imago sportfotodienst

Close encounters

This will be the 11th meeting between Atlético and Leverkusen in European competition and results until now could not be closer, with both sides winning three games each and playing out four draws.

© IMAGO/Anke Waelischmiller/SVEN SIMON/IMAGO/Sven Simon

Wirtz and Co. primed

Automatic qualification for the Round of 16 is in sight for the defending Bundesliga champions, who currently sit fourth in the Champions League standings after four wins from their six games. The Werkself have lost just once, to one of the tournament favourites Liverpool.

© IMAGO/Gladys Chai von der Laage

2:03

Bayer on a roll

Leverkusen are in flying form as they head to the Spanish capital, with Xabi Alonso's side picking up their 11th win on the spin in all competitions against Gladbach at the weekend.

Welcome!

Thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of Bayer Leverkusen's seventh UEFA Champions League game of the 2024/25 league phase away at Atlético Madrid on Tuesday.

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