The UEFA Champions League group stage intensifies on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, as German giants Bayer Leverkusen welcome Dutch challengers PSV Eindhoven to the BayArena. Both teams arrive in Leverkusen with a burning desire to secure their first victory in this season’s competition, setting the stage for what promises to be a captivating encounter under the floodlights. Having failed to clinch three points on Matchday 1, the stakes are exceptionally high, with early group positioning on the line. Will Leverkusen’s formidable home record propel them to victory, or can PSV, despite their recent European struggles, spring a surprise in Germany?
Head-to-Head History
Historically, Bayer Leverkusen and PSV Eindhoven have rarely crossed paths in European competition, with just two previous meetings on record. Their most notable encounter dates back over three decades to the 1994/95 UEFA Cup. In that tie, Leverkusen emerged victorious with a narrow 5-4 aggregate win, progressing to the next round. The German side won the home leg 5-4 and secured a 0-0 draw away from home.
Beyond this historical fixture, Leverkusen boast an impressive record against Dutch opposition, remaining unbeaten in their last seven meetings with clubs from the Netherlands, securing four wins and three draws. Conversely, PSV have found trips to Germany particularly challenging, having lost 14 of their last 17 competitive visits, with three draws to their name.
Current Form & Team News
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen enter this Champions League clash in robust domestic form, having built on a five-match unbeaten run across all competitions. Although their 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign began with a 2-1 defeat away to Hoffenheim, they quickly regained momentum, collecting seven points from a possible nine in the league since that setback.
Their Champions League journey started with a hard-fought 2-2 draw away at FC Copenhagen on Matchday 1, a game in which Leverkusen twice came from behind, scoring a stoppage-time equalizer to salvage a point. Their most recent Bundesliga outings saw them secure a 2-1 away win against St. Pauli, which ended a sequence of two consecutive draws, including a 1-1 home draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Overall, Leverkusen’s form in their last five competitive matches looks like: W (vs. St. Pauli), D (vs. Mönchengladbach), D (vs. FC Copenhagen), W (vs. Eintracht Frankfurt), L (vs. Hoffenheim).
At home, Leverkusen had an imperious record in the 2024/25 Champions League group stage, winning all four of their matches without conceding a single goal. However, they have struggled to maintain clean sheets in their early home games this season, with their three home fixtures yielding varying results (W1, D1, L1). Key attacking threats for Leverkusen include Patrik Schick, who has netted 7 goals this season, alongside Malik Tillman and Alejandro Grimaldo, who both have 2 goals and Grimaldo leads with 4 assists.
Leverkusen will be without four guaranteed absentees for this fixture, though specific names were not provided.
PSV Eindhoven
PSV Eindhoven arrive in Germany with a mix of emotions. Domestically, they have been nearly flawless in the early stages of the Eredivisie season, securing five wins, one draw, and just a single defeat. However, their Champions League opener was a significant disappointment, suffering a convincing 3-1 home defeat to debutants Union Saint-Gilloise. Coach Peter Bosz openly criticized the performance as “not good enough.”
Following that European setback, PSV managed a narrow 2-1 away victory over Excelsior in their most recent Eredivisie fixture, with Joey Veerman and Ismael Saibari among the goal scorers. Looking at their last five competitive matches, PSV’s form appears to be: W (vs. Excelsior), W (vs. AFC Ajax), L (vs. Union Saint-Gilloise), W (vs. NEC Nijmegen), W (vs. SC Telstar).
PSV’s away form in the Champions League is a concern, with just one win from their last five away games in the competition (D1, L3). Defensively, PSV have kept only two clean sheets in their last 25 UEFA matches, highlighting a consistent vulnerability in European fixtures.
Tactical Preview
Under their dynamic style of play, Bayer Leverkusen are expected to adopt an attacking approach at the BayArena. Given their strong offensive output this season, with six of their seven competitive matches producing over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring in their last six games, they will likely press high and seek to dominate possession.
PSV, under Peter Bosz, are also known for their attacking philosophy. They have demonstrated their scoring ability by finding the net in all but one match this season, and seven of their nine competitive games have seen both teams score. This suggests a potentially open and high-scoring affair. The midfield battle will be crucial, with Leverkusen aiming to control the tempo and unleash their creative talents like Alejandro Grimaldo, while PSV will rely on the likes of Joey Veerman to orchestrate attacks and link up with their forwards.
Defensively, both teams have shown vulnerabilities. Leverkusen’s recent home games have seen them concede, breaking a strong clean sheet record from last season’s Champions League. PSV’s porous European defense, highlighted by their 3-1 loss to Union Saint-Gilloise and only two clean sheets in their last 25 UEFA matches, is a significant weakness that Leverkusen will look to exploit.
Playing at home, Bayer Leverkusen will benefit from familiar surroundings and fan support. Travel fatigue is unlikely to be a major factor for PSV given the relatively short distance, but the BayArena will undoubtedly provide a challenging atmosphere for the Dutch visitors.
