Leverkusen with a strong squad against Benfica: Who is missing and who is playing?

Leverkusen with a strong squad against Benfica: Who is missing and who is playing?

Today, November 5, 2025, all eyes are on the exciting Champions League game between the German club favorite Bayer Leverkusen and the Portuguese representative SL Benfica. The atmosphere is tense and the fans are looking forward to the match, which is of great importance for both teams. While Leverkusen wants to shine on the international stage, they face a challenge with numerous injuries in the team.

Bayer Leverkusen's expected lineup sees goalkeeper Flekken leading the defense, behind a defense that includes Quansah, Badé and Tapsoba. Maza and Aleix Garcia should strengthen the central midfield, while Arthur, Echeverri, Grimaldo and Poku can be expected in attack. Striker Kofane could replace Schick to apply pressure in the penalty area. Despite this promising line-up, Leverkusen are struggling with a long list of failures. A central player, Andrich, is not eligible to play due to a red card suspension and Fernandez, Hofmann, Mensah, Palacios, Tape, Tella, Terrier and Vazquez are also injured or not taken into account. The situation is particularly critical for the defensive midfield, where Maza will be the focus, as three midfielders are out.

Leverkusen's background

But who actually is Bayer Leverkusen? The city, located in beautiful North Rhine-Westphalia, right on the eastern bank of the Rhine, is more than just a football club. Leverkusen has a population of approximately 163,000 residents, making it one of the smaller cities in the Rhine-Ruhr region, which is one of the largest urban areas in Europe. The city is particularly known for the pharmaceutical company Bayer, which plays a crucial role in its history.

The roots of Leverkusen go back to the 12th century with the village of Wiesdorf. Over the years, the region developed into an industrial center, especially after Carl Leverkus founded a paint factory in 1861. Bayer AG took over the factory in 1891, which offered the city a new variety of development opportunities. In the present, Bayer Leverkusen not only has sporting successes, such as winning the first Bundesliga championship in the 2023/24 season, but also rich cultural and historical attractions, including the BayArena, Morsbroich Castle and Neuland Park.

Sports situation and risk of injury

The injury situation in Leverkusen highlights a larger problem in sport, which was also highlighted in a pilot study on the prevalence of sports injuries in Germany. According to this study, which surveyed over 2,000 people, around 12.2% of those who exercise required medical treatment or had to take a break. Younger and male athletes in particular are affected more often and often injure themselves while running, cycling and playing football. These findings highlight the importance of prevention in sport and highlight the challenges teams like Bayer Leverkusen face in minimizing injuries and providing a safe environment for players.

Considering all these aspects, the upcoming game against Benfica will not only be a test for the team, but also an opportunity to overcome these adversities and grow as a team. The fans are already on their feet and ready to support their team - is Leverkusen ready for the challenge in this difficult phase?

For the latest developments surrounding the Champions League game and further information about Bayer Leverkusen, you can read the articles on kicker.de and wikipedia.org read up. You can also find the results of the study on injury prevalence here zeitschrift-sportmedizin.de.