In a rematch of their last week’s reverse match in Portugal, Group B rivals Bayer Leverkusen and Porto face again on Wednesday with a chance to advance to the Champions League’s round of 16.
After that defeat, Leverkusen fired manager Gerardo Seoane. They chose Xabi Alonso, a former star for Real Madrid and Liverpool, to lead the team. Die Wekself defeated Schalke 4-0 in the Bundesliga on Saturday in his first game in command.
With a 2-0 victory over Portimonense, Porto maintained their winning ways in the Primeira Liga. They had won three straight matches overall.
Both clubs are riding on this match because they compete against Atletico Madrid for a spot in the knockout rounds. With a perfect record, Club Brugge is first in Group B. The other teams have three points, with Porto coming in second on goal differential.
Date and kickoff time
Wednesday, October 12th 2022
UK (BST) 8:00 PM
CEST: 9:00 PM
Eastern Time: 03:00 PM
Central Time: 02:00 PM
Mountain Time: 01:00 PM
Pacific Time: 12:00 PM
Gulf Standard Time: 11:00 PM
Indian Standard Time: 12:30 AM midnight October 13th 2022.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Porto live stream and TV channel
UK and Ireland: BT Sport App, BT Sport 7
US: Paramount+, VIX+
Australia: Stan Sport
Canada: DAZN
Egypt: beIN Sports English 2, beIN SPORTS CONNECT
France: beIN Sports MAX 7, beIN SPORTS CONNECT
Germany: DAZN, DAZN2
India: Sony LIV, JioTV
Mexico: HBO Max
Netherlands: Ziggo Sport Tennis
New Zealand: Spark Sport
Nigeria: SuperSport Variety 2
Norway:TV 2 Play
Portugal: Sport TV Multiscreen, Eleven Sports 1 Portugal, Sport TV+
South Africa: SuperSport Variety 3
Spain: Movistar+, Movistar Liga de Campeones 5
Team News
Karim Bellarabi, Florian Wirtz, and Exequiel Palacios are all expected to miss this game for Leverkusen due to injury. Iranian international Sardar Azmoun will join them there after tearing a calf muscle during the warm-up at Estadio Dragao.
As a result, Xabi Alonso might stick with the front three he started on Saturday, placing Moussa Diaby and Callum Hudson-Odoi on either side of centre striker Patrick Schick.
Pepe, the captain of Porto, suffered a knee injury during practice that will keep him out of play this week and possibly the World Cup.
David Carmo and Fabio Cardoso should start at the centre of the visitors’ back four in the 39-year-place, old’s with Mehdi Taremi and Evanilson perhaps starting together up front.
Bayer Leverkusen Champions League form:
L, W, L
Porto Champions League form:
L, L, W
Bayer Leverkusen’s expected lineup:
Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Amiri, Aranguiz, Demirbay, Bakker; Diaby, Schick, Hudson-Odoi
Porto possible expected lineup:
Costa; Mario, Cardoso, Carmo, Wendell; Uribe, Eustaquio, Otavio, Pepe; Taremi, Evanilson
Prediction
Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Porta
Leverkusen will be hoping for a positive result because they played well in Alonso’s first game in command. This season, they have only scored twice in the Champions League, both coming last month against Atletico Madrid.
Porto, on the other hand, has a similarly dismal goal-scoring performance in the competition this year. They have three goals in as many games, only one of which was scored while travelling. It could be a low-scoring game with the team winning by a single goal.