Champions League Matchday 1 Picks: Feyenoord vs. Leverkusen (Thursday)

Feyenoord Looking To Upset Germans

The UEFA Champions League returns this week with a number of exciting matchups, including Feyenoord vs. Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday. Feyenoord will be looking to pull off an upset when they host the German side at De Kuip. The Dutch champions are coming off a 4-0 win over FC Emmen in the Eredivisie, while Leverkusen lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

Feyenoord will be without injured defender Marcos Senesi, but they will have star striker Cyriel Dessers available. Leverkusen will be without injured midfielder Florian Wirtz, but they will have forward Moussa Diaby available.

This is a tough matchup to call, but I think Feyenoord has a slight edge playing at home. I predict a 2-1 win for the Dutch side.

Leverkusen Aiming For Fast Start

Bayer Leverkusen will be looking to make a fast start to their Champions League campaign when they travel to Feyenoord on Thursday. The German side has not won any of their last five matches in all competitions, but they will be confident of getting a result against the Dutch champions.

Leverkusen will be without injured midfielder Florian Wirtz, but they will have forward Moussa Diaby available. Diaby has been in good form this season, scoring three goals in four Bundesliga matches.

I predict a 2-1 win for Leverkusen.

Head-to-Head Record

Feyenoord and Leverkusen have met twice before in European competition. Feyenoord won 2-1 in the UEFA Cup in 1985, while Leverkusen won 3-1 in the Champions League in 2002.

Betting Odds

Feyenoord are the slight favorites to win the match, with odds of 2.30. Leverkusen are priced at 3.10, while the draw is priced at 3.40.