This Tuesday, October 21, Paris Saint-Germain (3rd) will face Bayer Leverkusen (25th) at the BayArena (kick-off at 9 p.m., CET) for Matchday 3 of the 2025-2026 Champions League. And as before every match, here’s the preview of the Parisians’ opponent.
Bayer Leverkusen’s situation –
A major German football club with over 100 years of existence, Bayer Leverkusen nevertheless has a rather sparse and belatedly successful record. It won the German Cup and the Bundesliga in 2024 after an incredible undefeated season, apart from the one conceded in the Europa League final. It also won the German Super Cup that year, as well as the 1993 German Cup.
Otherwise, Leverkusen has mostly been at the top of the table, even finishing second. Not forgetting the 2002 Champions League final, marked by Zinedine Zidane’s famous volley. This season is one of great renewal. After several successful years under coach Xabi Alonso (2022-2025), the latter left for Real Madrid. This was accompanied by numerous transfers, including the departure of key players from the Spanish coach’s squad.
The start was disastrous: Erik ten Hag was dismissed during the September break and replaced by Kasper Hjulmand. He did a good job of turning things around in the league, but less so in the Champions League. Today, Leverkusen is 5th in the Bundesliga. But they have only two points in Europe after draws against Copenhagen (2-2) and PSV Eindhoven (1-1).
The 2025 summer transfer window –
Source: Transfermarkt.
Departures:
Arrivals:
Key Statistics –
This season, Bayer Leverkusen is among the 17th best attacks in the Champions League with 3 goals scored (the first, Bayern Munich, has 8, and the last, Ajax Amsterdam and Olympiakos, have 0), and is among the 2nd best defenses with 3 goals conceded (Arsenal and Inter Milan have the best defenses with 0 goals conceded, the last, Kairat Almaty, has 9).
The German club’s top scorers are Alejandro Grimaldo (29-year-old) and Christian Kofane, with 1 goal, they are among the 18th in the Champions League (the first in the CL is Kylian Mbappé with 5 goals). There is no assist for Bayer Leverkusen’s 3 goals this season in Europe.
Bayer Leverkusen’s last 5 matches –
Only Bayer’s possession is shown, and their shots are listed first (when available).
September 21, 2025 (Bundesliga) – Leverkusen/Mönchengladbach: 1-1. 3-4-2-1 formation. 62% possession. 13 shots, including 9 on target, versus 13 shots (7 on target).
September 27, 2025 (Bundesliga) – St. Pauli/Leverkusen: 1-2. 3-4-2-1 formation. 51% possession. 5 shots, including 4 on target, versus 13 shots (6 on target).
October 1, 2025 (Champions League) – Leverkusen/PSV Eindhoven: 1-1. 3-4-2-1 formation. 46% possession. 14 shots, including 4 on target, versus 6 shots (1 on target).
04/10/2025 (Bundesliga) – Leverkusen/Union Berlin: 2-0. 3-4-2-1 formation. 74% possession. 20 shots, including 3 on target, versus 10 shots (3 on target).
18/10/2025 (Bundesliga) – Mainz/Leverkusen: 3-4. 3-4-2-1 formation. 58% possession. 20 shots, including 8 on target, versus 12 shots (4 on target).
Probable lineup :
Kofane
Poku – Maza
Grimaldo – Fernandez – Garcia – Soares
Tapsabo – Badé – Andrich
Flekken
Bayer Leverkusen’s playing style.
Even though there are differences, Bayer Leverkusen has stuck to the general idea implemented over the past three years by Xabi Alonso. It’s the same system, with the desire to press high and have possession of the ball. This without forgetting to create danger and take chances.
An adjustment against PSG is still possible, but it would be a real surprise to see Hjulmand’s team, a regular attacker, hunker down on their goal in order to focus mainly on defense. We therefore expect an intense match, with the Parisians having to put in the right ingredients to avoid being overwhelmed by a possible very strong pressure. They will also have to cope with many absentees, between 7 and 9 depending on the uncertainties.
