Bayer Leverkusen
will hope to
continue its
outstanding home
record in the
Champions League
group stages
against Manchester
United.
Sami Hyypia's men
welcome the Premier League champion to the
BayArena on Wednesday for a crucial Group
A clash, as the team targets its ninth home
win in a row in the initial stages of Europe's
premier club competition - a result that
would send it top of the pool.
With 10 wins from its first 13 matches,
Leverkusen has made its best-ever start to a
Bundesliga season but a 1-0 win over Hertha
Berlin on Saturday was overshadowed by the
injury to winger Sidney Sam.
Sam has been in electric form for club and
country this season, scoring 11 goals, but
lasted just four minutes against Hertha
before being substituted with a thigh
problem. His absence is likely to give a
chance to attacker Robbie Kruse - recently
awarded Australia's Players' Player of the
Year gong for 2013 - with the other flank set
to be manned by South Korea star Son
Heung-Min.
Leverkusen sits second in the group with
seven points from four matches and has not
lost since a 4-2 defeat at United on
matchday one. Included in the home winning
streak in the group stages are triumphs over
Real Madrid, Roma and Valencia, while the
club also came from behind to defeat Chelsea
2-1 in 2011.
However, Hyypia will be without defender
Roberto Hilbert (knee) and midfielder Stefan
Reinartz (heel).
United has won its last three Champions
League fixtures against Leverkusen, although
the English side was knocked out on away
goals by the Germans in the 2001-02
semifinals.
The team is unbeaten in its last 10 matches
in all competitions, climbing to sixth in the
Premier League after a poor start to the
season.
New manager David Moyes has finally found
his feet at Old Trafford but United was denied
on Sunday when Kim Bo-Kyung headed an
injury-time equalizer to give Cardiff City a
last-gasp 2-2 draw in South Wales.
Wayne Rooney scored twice in the previous
fixture against Leverkusen, taking his
Champions League tally to 29 goals and
cementing his place as Britain's all-time
leading scorer in the competition. He will be
hopeful of adding to that but may be without
strike partner Robin van Persie again after
the Dutchman missed the match at Cardiff
with toe and groin issues.
Midfield enforcer Marouane Fellaini is
suspended for this match following his late
red card against Real Sociedad on matchday
four but Moyes will hope that defenders
Nemanja Vidic (concussion) and Phil Jones
(groin) can return.
Michael Carrick is a certain absentee with an
Achilles injury but forward Danny Welbeck
came back from a knee problem when he
came off the bench at Cardiff.
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