The head-to-head could not be more even. In 10 competitive encounters against Atletico Madrid, there have been three wins (all at home), four draws and three defeats. The overall goal difference is also almost perfectly balanced with -1 from a Leverkusen point of view.
It remains to be seen how today's match will affect the statistics. However, a look at the previous clashes shows that the spectators can look forward to committed tackles, big emotions and two teams in top form!
Atletico had recorded an astonishing 15 consecutive wins in all competitions until last weekend, when head coach Diego Simeone's side went down to a 1-0 loss away to promoted team CD Leganes. That winning run was a club record. "We had 15 wonderful performances up until now," said Simeone after the full-time whistle on Saturday. "My team tried everything to score the equaliser here, but it just wasn't to be today." The result meant Atletico surrendered their lead at the top of the LaLiga table to city rivals Real Madrid again, but their form in recent weeks and months is nevertheless outstanding. Shortly before Christmas, Simeone's men won 2-1 at FC Barcelona – their first away success against the Catalans since 2006 – to go into the short break as the 'winter champions'.
The Werkself also travel to the Spanish capital with bags of confidence, though. The 3-1 victory at home to Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday was the team's 11th straight win in all competitions - the longest winning run since promotion to the Bundesliga in 1979 after the 14 in a row from September to November 2023.
Someone who knows the history of this fixture better than anyone is Stefan Kießling. The Bayer 04 honorary captain featured in three of the 10 competitive meetings to date between the Werkself and the Rojiblancos. In the return match of the 2010/11 Europa League group stage at the BayArena, the former striker came on at half-time to make his comeback after a lay-off of around three months and set up the equaliser for Patrick Helmes in the 70th minute. "That's quite a long time ago now, but of course you fondly remember any goal contribution in a European match against a top opponent," says Kießling with a grin.
His two other appearances against Atletico came in the 2014/15 UCL round of 16. Kießling was a late substitute in the 1-0 home win in the first leg, before he became the tragic figure in the return leg at the old Vicente Calderón stadium. With the game finishing 1-0 to Atletico after normal and extra time, it went to penalties. Kießling was Leverkusen's fifth taker, after two misses from each side. "I was an experienced player and took responsibility. Unfortunately it wasn't to be on that night," he reflects on his penalty that went over the bar. "We would've deserved to go through." The now 40-year says about the clashes against Atletico, especially in Madrid: "The atmosphere there is always heated, really awesome - especially in that penalty shootout."
So, now for the next instalment of Atletico Madrid versus Bayer 04 Leverkusen. This time, of course, Kießling will be watching proceedings from the stands. Ahead of kick-off at 21:00 CET tonight, bayer04.de looks back at the previous encounters.
The first two clashes were the odd ones out, to some extent. On Matchday 2 of the 2010/11 Europa League, the Werkself visited Atletico for the first time, then still playing at the Estadio Vicente Calderón. The hallowed stadium had been the home of the club since 1966. Facing Bayer 04 head coach Jupp Heynckes on the touchline that evening was not Atletico's legendary coach Simeone, but his predecessor Quique Sánchez Flores. After goals from Eren Derdiyok (39') and Simao with a penalty for Atletico (51'), the points were shared. The likes of Diego Costa, Diego Forlan and goalkeeper David de Gea were in the Spaniards' starting line-up, while current managing director for sport Simon Rolfes replaced Arturo Vidal on the hour mark for the Werkself.
It was a similar story in the return fixture at a snowy BayArena shortly before Christmas 2010. Helmes gave Leverkusen the lead in the second half, but Fran Merida levelled just three minutes later and 1-1 was how it ended. That was enough to confirm Bayer 04 as group winners with 12 points from six games, with Aris FC (Greece) finishing second and Atletico exiting the competition. The Werkself's campaign came to an end in the round of 16 against another Spanish club, Villarreal.
It was just over four years until the two teams met again – and for the first time in the UEFA Champions League. In late February 2015, the Werkself hosted the Spanish giants in the first leg of the round of 16. It was also Simeone's first visit to the BayArena, having already been in charge for over three years. But thanks to Hakan Calhanoglu's strike in the 57th minute, the Argentinian and his team went back empty-handed.
Around three weeks later, it was off to Madrid with a place in the quarter-finals at stake. With Mario Suarez scoring the only goal of normal time after 27 minutes and no further goals coming in extra time, it went down to a penalty shootout. The first two spot-kicks were missed, before two Madrid players and then Rolfes in his last encounter with Atletico hit the target. However, after Kießling's miss, the Werkself bowed out of Europe's premier club competition. In total there were 19 yellow cards and one second yellow across the two legs. Interestingly, in the two Europa League encounters in 2010, before the Simeone era, there were just five bookings.
Two seasons later, the teams met again in the round of 16. Again the first leg took place at the BayArena, but this time it was Madrid who came out on top in a 4-2 victory. Karim Bellarabi and an own goal were the scorers for Leverkusen, while Antoine Griezmann and Fernando Torres were on the scoresheet for the visitors. The second leg in the Spanish capital three weeks later ended goalless, meaning the Werkself again fell at the last-16 hurdle.
Champions League again, this time the group stage of the 2019/20 campaign. The first meeting was staged at the Estadio Metropolitano, opened two years prior. In front of over 56,000 spectators, a late header from Alvaro Morata past Werkself goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky decided a tight contest. It proved to be the last defeat against Atletico to date.
Two weeks later, the second leg took place at the BayArena - and the Werkself needed points on Matchday 4. After three defeats at the start of the UCL season, the home game against Atletico was the last chance to maintain hopes of staying in Europe over the winter. An own goal from the Rojiblancos shortly before the break and a goal from Kevin Volland shortly afterwards paved the way for victory, with Morata only able to reduce the deficit in stoppage time to make the final score 2-1. In addition to five yellow cards, a red card (Nadiem Amiri) was also handed out in another hard-fought contest. This was followed by one more win at Lokomotiv Moscow, meaning the Werkself finished third in their group and progressed to the UEFA Europa League, where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals against Inter Milan in a stadium in Düsseldorf that was empty due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The teams were reunited in the group stage of the Champions League in September 2022. For a long time it looked like ending in a goalless draw at the BayArena, until the Werkself struck not once but twice in the closing stages. Robert Andrich with his maiden UCL goal (87') and Moussa Diaby (90') clinched what turned out to be a hugely important home win for Gerardo Seoane's side
Second match, penultimate group matchday. Attendance of over 63,000 at the Estadio Metropolitano. The Werkself twice took the lead through Diaby and Callum Hudson-Odoi, but twice the Madrid men hit back. Both sides went for the win in the final minutes but to no avail as referee Clement Turpin blew for the whistle at 2-2...
But then the referee was advised by the VAR about a possible handball by Piero Hincapie in the final situation and, after viewing the video footage, awarded Atletico a penalty. Yannick Carrasco had the chance to put his team through to the next round - but Hradecky saved and was also on hand to save the rebound with the help of the crossbar! In the end, the Finn secured his side's place in the Europa League, where they progressed to the semi-finals. This 2-2 draw in Madrid in autumn 2022 was undoubtedly another milestone on the fantastic journey since then. "It was a moment that really brought us together," says Kießling, who was present in the stadium in his official role as a club representative.
The seven yellow cards in the game, including for the two head coaches Simeone and Xabi Alonso, were also a sign of the highly charged nature of the evening. That will certainly be a feature of today's meeting, too. And maybe there'll be a first away win for Bayer 04 at Atletico Madrid...
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