Leverkusen started their UEFA Europa League campaign in style with a 4-0 home defeat of Swedish double winners BK Häcken, their fifth win in a six-game unbeaten start to the new season in all competitions. The goals once again flowed freely – that’s 25 times Alonso’s men have found the net in all competitions in 2023/24 – with four different goalscorers hitting the target at the BayArena. First-choice goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky was rested as Matej Kovar made his competitive debut for Die Werkself, while Amine Adli came back into the line-up having started on the bench in the 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich last weekend. Exequiel Palacios scored a late equaliser after coming on at the Allianz Arena; the Argentina international started in midweek and should continue in midfield. Victor Boniface scored his sixth Leverkusen goal in midweek, with Jonas Hofmann also on target after joining the action in the second half. Wing-back Jeremie Frimpong should also be razor-sharp, after being used as a second-half substitute against Häcken. Bayer begin the weekend in first place, but will likely have ground to make up come kick-off.
Heidenheim are already six points behind their opponents, but last season’s Bundesliga 2 champions must be relatively satisfied with how their top-flight return has gone so far. The concern of the back-to-back defeats with which they started the season has given way to cautious optimism following the Matchday 3 draw at Borussia Dortmund and the 4-2 home win over Werder Bremen last time out. Frank Schmidt – now the longest-serving coach in German football history – is expected to go with an unchanged starting XI, which means Bremen loanee Eren Dinkçi and Tim Kleindienst, who have five Bundesliga strikes between them this season, will provide the main goal threat for the visitors.
- Boniface has fired off a league-high 29 attempts on goal so far this season. Heidenheim counterpart Kleindienst is next on the list with 17.
- Leverkusen’s 10 points after four matches is a club record.
- Bayer have scored six of their seven penalties in 2023, having missed all four spot-kick attempts the previous calendar year.
- Heidenheim and Leverkusen are respective league leaders for set-piece goals scored and conceded (both four).
- The new boys have fallen 2-0 behind in their first two Bundesliga away games to date, whilst taking 2-0 leads in their first two at home.
- Schmidt’s Heidenheim beat Leverkusen 2-1 in the 2018/19 DFB Cup round of 16, in the clubs’ only previous competitive meeting.
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