Bayer Leverkusen vs Celje Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview

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Bayer Leverkusen

vs

Celje

KickoffWednesday 16 September 2026, 8:00pm

VenueBayArena

CompetitionUEFA Europa League

Bayer Leverkusen’s Europa League campaign kicks off at BayArena this week, and the timing could not be more convenient. Their opponents, Celje, arrive in Germany without a manager, without momentum, and without much reason for optimism. For Leverkusen, this is about sending a statement in Europe from matchday one. Three points is the minimum expectation. The question is whether this turns into a routine win or a proper hammering.

Carles Martinez Novell will want his side to use this as a platform. They have been inconsistent in the Bundesliga so far this campaign, and a controlled, confident European performance at home would do a lot to settle any nerves around the squad. Celje are not going to roll over, but they are in genuine disarray right now, and Leverkusen should have enough quality to take full advantage.

Bayer Leverkusen vs Celje Match Details

This fixture takes place at BayArena in Leverkusen, with both clubs competing in the Europa League league phase. It is Leverkusen’s first game in this season’s competition, while Celje have made the trip across central Europe looking to cause an upset against one of the Bundesliga’s most recognisable clubs. The atmosphere inside BayArena should be electric, as it tends to be on European nights, and the home faithful will be expecting their side to deliver.

Team News

Leverkusen have a few injury concerns in midfield and out wide, which could affect how Martinez sets his side up. Celje, meanwhile, are not just dealing with injuries but a full managerial crisis heading into this one.

• Kennet Eichhorn is out, the 17-year-old defensive midfielder continuing to manage a mitochondrial disorder
• Nathan Tella is unavailable with a back injury
• Eliesse Ben Seghir is a doubt due to a thigh problem, which opens the door for Equi Fernandez and Aleix Garcia to start in midfield
• Montrell Culbreath is working back from a foot injury and is not ready to feature
• For Celje, midfielder Andrej Kotnik misses out through suspension, leaving a gap in their engine room
• Vitor Campelos departed as Celje manager on Monday after the club president and the Portuguese coach parted ways, leaving the squad to prepare for this match without a permanent gaffer in charge

Predicted Lineups

Leverkusen look set to line up in a four at the back with Jarell Quansah, Facundo Medina, Edmond Tapsoba and Miguel Gutierrez forming the defensive unit. Garcia and Fernandez should sit in the double pivot, with Ibrahim Maza operating just ahead of them in a more advanced role. Expect Diaby, Moreira and likely Schick to provide the thrust in attack, with Patrick Schick leading the line after his dramatic equaliser against Augsburg.

Celje will set up in a similar defensive structure, with Darko Hrka and Artemijus Tutyskinas at centre back, flanked by Pijus Sirvys and Milot Avdyli at full back. Papa Daniel and Mark Zabukovnik should form the double pivot to cover for the suspended Kotnik, with Svit Seslar in the number ten role behind a front line that includes Dukuly, Kvesic and Kucys.

Recent Form

Leverkusen have had a stop start beginning to the season. They were beaten 3-2 by Elversberg in their Bundesliga opener, which raised a few eyebrows, but they responded emphatically by putting four past Union Berlin without reply on September 5. Goals came from four different players in that win, which underlines just how many attacking outlets Martinez can call upon. The variety is genuinely a weapon in itself.

The concern is what happened next. Leverkusen were held to a 2-2 draw by Augsburg in their most recent league game, surrendering an early lead and looking shaky before Schick rescued a point in the 89th minute. It was not a disaster, but it was the kind of performance that suggests the defensive shape is not quite as settled as Martinez would like. That said, the four goal haul against Wehen Wiesbaden in the DFB-Pokal back in August shows they can click when they are on song, and BayArena is genuinely a fortress. Only two home defeats since January is a remarkable record.

Celje, on the other hand, are in a dreadful run. They have lost four of their last five games across all competitions, and their most recent result was a 2-1 defeat to NK Bravo at the weekend. The one silver lining for the travelling faithful is that Celje have been slightly better on their travels, picking up two wins and suffering only two defeats in their last five away fixtures. But that context counts for very little when you are walking into BayArena without a manager.

Head-to-Head Record

These two clubs have not crossed paths regularly, and there is no deep well of head-to-head history to draw from. This is largely uncharted territory for Celje at this level, and for Leverkusen, it is about treating the occasion professionally rather than worrying about what the visitors have done in previous meetings. What we do know is that Leverkusen’s home record this season makes them an incredibly difficult proposition for any team turning up at BayArena, and Celje’s recent results suggest they are not in the sort of shape to buck that trend.

Key Stats

• Leverkusen have scored at least twice in each of their last four competitive fixtures, showing their attack is functioning even when results have been mixed
• Celje have lost four of their last five matches across all competitions, suggesting a side that is low on confidence and short on cohesion
• Leverkusen have lost just twice at BayArena since January, making this one of the trickiest venues in the Bundesliga to visit

Bayer Leverkusen vs Celje Betting Tips

This feels like a game where the narrative almost writes the bets for you. A managerless visiting side in terrible form, heading to one of Germany’s best home environments, against a Leverkusen attack that has not stopped scoring. The smart money is on Leverkusen to win comfortably, keep a clean sheet, and deliver goals from multiple sources.

Cards Prediction

Celje are going to be under serious pressure for long spells in this one, and without a manager to settle the dressing room or provide clear tactical instruction, there is a real chance of frustration boiling over. Expect at least three cards in total, with the visitors the more likely culprits as they attempt to disrupt Leverkusen’s rhythm through the middle of the park.

First Goalscorer Prediction

Patrick Schick is the standout pick here. He has already shown his big game temperament this season with that late equaliser against Augsburg, he leads the line for Leverkusen, and he will relish operating against a Celje back four that is going to be stretched repeatedly throughout this match. Back him to open the scoring.

Correct Score Prediction

Leverkusen 3-0 Celje. The home side have too much quality in attack, Celje look unlikely to break through a Leverkusen defence that keeps clean sheets regularly at BayArena, and three goals feels like a natural ceiling for what Martinez’s side need to prove their point without overextending.

Both Teams To Score (BTTS) Prediction

No. Celje are in wretched form and have just lost their manager. They are going to find it almost impossible to get the ball into dangerous areas against a Leverkusen side that is well organised at home, and a clean sheet for the hosts feels like the most likely outcome here. BTTS is a pass from us.

Bet Builder Tip

A dominant home win with a clean sheet and Schick on the scoresheet is the most logical reading of this fixture, and combining these three selections reflects exactly that narrative.

Final Match Prediction

Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 Celje. The gap in quality between these two sides is significant on paper, and the context around Celje right now makes it even wider in practice. No manager, poor form, a long trip to Germany, and facing a Leverkusen attack that has been in free-scoring mode for the past month. It all points in one direction.

Leverkusen need to start their European campaign with authority, and this is the kind of fixture where you do just that. Expect Martinez to see his side deliver a controlled, professional performance that keeps the BayArena crowd happy and sends a message to the rest of the Europa League field. Three nil, no sweat.

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