16th September BAYER LEVERKUSEN - NK CELJE
- Wed 20:00
Bayer Leverkusen Vs Nk Celje
- Game for: 1st round of Europa League
- Take Place: BayArena (30.210 )
- Predicted Score: Bayer Leverkusen 3 - 1 Nk Celje
Standing
| P | Team | W | D | L | Pts | Form |
| 8 | Bayer Leverkusen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | DWLDLW |
| 3 | Nk Celje | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | LDWLDD |
8th (IN EUROPA LEAGUE )
- League : This is the 1st home game this season.
- Home Record : 0W - 0D - 0L
- Last Game :
- Next Game : 20 Sep Bayer Leverkusen - Rb Leipzig
3rd (IN EUROPA LEAGUE )
- League : This is the 1st away game this season.
- Away Record : 0W - 0D - 0L
- Last Game :
- Next Game : 19 Sep Mura - Nk Celje
KEY STATS BASED ON LAST 6 GAMES
HT O 1.50 OOUOOUBayer Leverkusen 20:00 Nk Celje OUUOOO
Probable Lineups
( 4-2-3-1 ) Bayer Leverkusen
Nk Celje ( 4-2-3-1 )
- Flekken
- Gutiérrez
- Medina
- Tapsoba
- Quansah
- García
- Fernández
- Maza
- Tillman
- Diaby
- Schick
- Leban
- Koútris
- Hrka
- Vuklisevic
- Sirvys
- Daniel
- Zabukovnik
- Dukuly
- Seslar
- Verbic
- Kramer
- Player Index: how much of this team's football each player accounts for, out of 10. It measures involvement and cover, not performance.
Injuries and Suspensions
Bayer LeverkusenVsNk Celje
| Player | Status |
| Nathan Tella | Out - injured |
| Guéla Doué | Out - injured |
| Montrell Culbreath | Out - injured |
| Eliesse Ben Seghir | Out - injured |
| Jonas Hofmann | Out - ineligible |
| Victor Boniface | Out - ineligible |
| Tim Oermann | Out - ineligible |
| Kennet Eichhorn | Out - ineligible |
| Player | Status |
| Andrej Kotnik | Out - suspended |
| Artemijus Tutyskinas | Out - suspended |
Team News
Carles Martínez is without Jonas Hofmann, Victor Boniface, Tim Oermann and Kennet Eichhorn due to eligibility rules, while Nathan Tella, Guéla Doué, Montrell Culbreath and Eliesse Ben Seghir are also unavailable.
Mark Flekken is set to start in goal, with Jarell Quansah, Edmond Tapsoba, Facundo Medina and Miguel Gutiérrez in front of him. Leverkusen aims to dominate possession, allowing Gutiérrez and Quansah to advance and help overload Celje’s defensive setup.
The midfield duo of Equi Fernández and Aleix García should provide the foundation, with Malik Tillman pushed further up the pitch. Their capacity to distribute the ball swiftly may prove crucial against a visiting team that is expected to defend with a tightly packed structure.
In the more advanced positions, Moussa Diaby and Ibrahim Maza are set to support Schick, who has found the net in every competitive game this season. Diaby also brings considerable Europa League experience, with 20 goal involvements in 28 appearances for Leverkusen in the tournament.
Vítor Campelos will be missing Jost Pišek, while Andrej Kotnik and Artemijus Tutyškinas are serving suspensions. Aside from these absences, the visitors have sufficient continuity to maintain a familiar setup.
Žan-Luk Leban is likely to continue in goal, with Pijus Širvys, Damjan Vuklišević, Darko Hrka and Leonardo Koutris in front of him. Their defensive organisation will face a stern test from a Leverkusen side adept at creating numerical advantages both centrally and on the flanks.
Mark Zabukovnik and Papa Daniel are set to form the midfield pivot, with Sešlar positioned ahead of them. Sešlar, with three league goals this season and two in Champions League qualifying, is Celje’s most threatening attacking midfielder.
Benjamin Verbič and Yaya Dukuly are expected to provide support to Blaž Kramer from the wide areas. Celje's record of scoring in 13 straight competitive away matches is a positive sign, but they have also failed to keep a clean sheet in seven away games, conceding at least twice in four of those.
Odds
Bayer Leverkusen Win: 1.17
DRAW: 7.5
Nk Celje Win: 15
Prices are indicative and sourced from a range of bookmakers, and may differ from those of any individual bookmaker.
Live Streaming Football
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | moja.tv |
| Croatia | Max To Go |
Live Football on TV
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Arena Cloud, Arena Sport Premium 2, Arena Sport Premium 2 HD, Moja TV |
| Croatia | Arena Sport 5, Arena Sport 5 HD |
Game Analysis
The market expects a one-sided afternoon. Bayer Leverkusen is the shortest price on a book of 1.17 / 7.5 / 15 (1 / X / 2), an implied 81.0%. Across the three outcomes the book reads 81.0% / 12.6% / 6.3% on an overround of 5.5%.
In the league table Bayer Leverkusen sit 8th on 0 points (0W 0D 0L) with Nk Celje 3rd on 0 points (0W 0D 0L).
Bayer Leverkusen read D-W-L-D-L-W across their last 6 in all competitions, most recent first (2W 2D 2L) — patchy.
Nk Celje read L-D-W-L-D-D across their last 6 in all competitions, most recent first (1W 3D 2L) — patchy.
Our last-six model flags 1 qualifying strike here. Reading Bayer Leverkusen first, then Nk Celje, out of their last six: HT O 1.50 4 and 4.
Bayer Leverkusen team news: Carles Martínez is without Jonas Hofmann, Victor Boniface, Tim Oermann and Kennet Eichhorn due to eligibility rules, while Nathan Tella, Guéla Doué, Montrell Culbreath and Eliesse Ben Seghir are also unavailable.
Bayer Leverkusen team news: Mark Flekken is set to start in goal, with Jarell Quansah, Edmond Tapsoba, Facundo Medina and Miguel Gutiérrez in front of him. Leverkusen aims to dominate possession, allowing Gutiérrez and Quansah to advance and help overload Celje’s defensive setup.
Nk Celje team news: Vítor Campelos will be missing Jost Pišek, while Andrej Kotnik and Artemijus Tutyškinas are serving suspensions. Aside from these absences, the visitors have sufficient continuity to maintain a familiar setup.
Nk Celje team news: Žan-Luk Leban is likely to continue in goal, with Pijus Širvys, Damjan Vuklišević, Darko Hrka and Leonardo Koutris in front of him. Their defensive organisation will face a stern test from a Leverkusen side adept at creating numerical advantages both centrally and on the flanks.
Bayer Leverkusen are without 8 — Nathan Tella (Out - injured), Guéla Doué (Out - injured), Montrell Culbreath (Out - injured), Eliesse Ben Seghir (Out - injured), Jonas Hofmann (Out - ineligible), Victor Boniface (Out - ineligible).
Nk Celje are without 2 — Andrej Kotnik (Out - suspended), Artemijus Tutyskinas (Out - suspended).
Early lineups are in: Bayer Leverkusen set up 4-2-3-1 against 4-2-3-1. See the pitch graphic above for the full XI.
Bayer Leverkusen lean hardest on Mark Flekken (6.9), Patrik Schick (6.9), Aleix García (6.9) on our Player Index — how much of the side's football each man accounts for, out of 10. It measures involvement and cover, not performance.
The projected score for this one is Bayer Leverkusen 3 - 1 Nk Celje, a home win by 2 with 4 goals in it — on the right side of the 2.5 line.
The read: Bayer Leverkusen at 1.17 is short enough that the value, if there is any, sits on the handicap or in the goals market rather than the outright.
This analysis is generated automatically from BTFNews odds, market and statistical data at 08:50 on 15th September 2026. It is information, not advice — always check team news before the off.