Leverkusen are heading into the match on the back of a 4-1 Bundesliga-win over Hertha Berlin on Sunday, while the visitors were held to a 1-1 draw in the Hungarian top flight, a day earlier.
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Bayer Leverkusen will host Ferencvaros in the first leg of their Europa League playoff tie at Bay Arena on Thursday. The hosts had to get the better of Monaco in the two-legged knockout round playoff last month to reach this far in the competition, while Ferencvaros earned a direct qualification to the round of 16 stage of Europe’s second tier tournament courtesy of finishing on top of their group. Leverkusen are heading into the match on the back of a 4-1 Bundesliga-win over Hertha Berlin on Sunday, while the visitors were held to a 1-1 draw in the Hungarian top flight, a day earlier.
💬 @XabiAlonso: „We expect a very intense match. @Fradi_HU is a very good opponent, at a similar level to Monaco. We need to bring our best game on the pitch to have a chance. Little things will be decisive.“
🔜 #B04FTC | #UEL | #Bayer04 pic.twitter.com/y2yV0NaKXU
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) March 8, 2023
Leverkusen were initially involved in the UEFA Champions during the first half of the season, but finished third in Group C and had to settle for a place in the Europa League playoff. After failing to a 3-2 defeat at home to Monaco in the first leg, the German outfit subsequently won with an identical scoreline in the second leg before prevailing 5-3 in penalties at Stade Louis II. Meanwhile Xabi Alonso’s side thrashed Hertha Berlin in their last outing in the weekend, courtesy of goals from Sardar Azmoun, Jeremie Frimpong, Moussa Diaby and Amine Adil. The Eternal Bridesmaids are currently sitting at the ninth spot in the German top flight standings, having collected 31 points from 23 league-games.
Ferencvaros, on the other hand, are sitting at the summit of the NB I table, with 50 points to their name from 22 outings, 14 points clear of the chasing pack. Last time out, the Green Eagles shared the spoils against Mezokovesd in the Hungarian top flight, despite taking the lead through Adama Traore inside the opening 11 minutes. Meanwhile, the Green and Whites progressed beyond the group stage of a European tournament for the first time in the club’s history, by finishing above Monaco, Trabzonspor and Red Star Belgrade in Group H, having pocketed 10 points from six games.
Bayer Leverkusen Probable line-up: Hradecky, Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba, Hincapie, Palacios, Andrich, Hudson-Odoi
Ferencvaros Probable line-up: Dibusz, Wingo, Botka, S Mmaee, Knoester, Civic, Traore, Vecsei, Zachariassen, Nguen, R Mamaee
Bayer Leverkusen
| Opponents | Score |
| Hertha Berlin | 4-1 (W) |
| Freiburg | 1-1 (D) |
| Monaco | 2-4 (W) |
| Mainz | 2-3 (L) |
| Monaco | 2-3 (L) |
Ferencvaros
| Opponents | Score |
| Mezokovesd-Zsory | 1-1 (D) |
| Debrecen | 0-2 (W) |
| Kecskemeti | 1-1 (D) |
| Kisvarda | 0-0 (D) |
| Ujpest | 3-1 (W) |
| Last 2 match-results | Score |
| Ferencvaros beat Leverkusen | 1-0 |
| Leverkusen beat Ferencvaros | 2-1 |
The UEFA Europa League match between Bayer Leverkusen and Ferencvaros will take place at Bay Arena on Thursday at 11:15 pm IST.
| Bayer Leverkusen vs Ferencvaros | Key Details |
| Date | March 9 |
| Venue | Bay Arena |
| Kickoff time in Germany | 6:45 pm |
| Kickoff time in Hungary | 6:45 pm |
| Kickoff time in India | 11:15 pm |
The live telecast of the Europa League between Bayer Leverkusen and Ferencvaros can be seen on RTL + in Germany. Meanwhile, those in Hungary can catch the live action via M4 Sports.
