Tuesday football Champions League match analysis and predictions: Manchester City vs Leverkusen Chelsea vs Barcelona

Manchester City vs Leverkusen

Injury situation

Manchester City (minor impact): Rodri (core midfielder): hamstring injury, confirmed to be absent Kovacic (midfielder): ankle surgery, season reimbursement - Nouri (defender): recovering from injury

Leverkusen (serious attrition): Fernandez (midfielder): knee ligament injury, absent Palacios (midfielder): groin injury, absent Andrich (midfielder): suspended Adéli (midfielder): injured Tapsoba (defender): played Doubtful

Key impact: Leverkusen's midfield is almost hollowed out, seriously weakening the defensive hardness and offensive organization ability

Tactical characteristics and lineup predictions

Manchester City (4-2-3-1 formation):

Core tactics: ball control (65%+)+ Quick transition, this season focuses more on direct offense. Harland is the core of the offense, with Foden, Doku, and Cherki surrounding it. Defensive end: Dias + Gvadiol combination, aerial duel success rate 82%

Expected starting: Goalkeeper: Donnarumma Defenders: Lewis, Dias, Gvadiol, Ake Midfielder: Reinders, B. Silva Frontcourt: Doku, Foden, Cherki Forward: Haaland

Leverkusen (4-3-3 formation):

Core tactics: High press + Quick transition, focusing on wing breakthroughs and central penetration. Wirtz is the core of the midfield, responsible for organizing the offense and the final pass. Defensive end: intensive defense + The midfield is strangled, but the wave of injuries weakens the power of this tactic

Expected starting lineup: Goalkeeper: Hradecki Defenders: Inkapiye, Jonathan Tower, Huseynov, Frimpong Midfielder: Yeremenko, Baumgartlinger, Wirtz Forward: Hoffman, Boni Faith, Alonjis

Core player status

Manchester City: Haaland: 26 goals in 16 games in all competitions this season, 5 goals in 4 Champions League games, 68% penalty area finishing efficiency Foden: 4 goals in the last 5 games, great threat of shooting from the wing Doku: Speedy winger, with a breakthrough success rate of 49%, is the key to tearing apart the defense

Leverkusen: Wirtz: Core midfielder, 6 goals and 8 assists in the Bundesliga this season, strong free kick scoring ability Hoffman: Winger, fast, counterattack weapon, has scored 5 goals this season Ball Boniface: Forward, strong body, aerial duel success rate 65%

Historical confrontations

No historical confrontation record, this is the first meeting between the two teams in the European War

Direction of this game: 3-0 3-1 Three or four goals

Chelsea vs. Barcelona

Injury situation

Chelsea (serious attrition): Palmer (core midfielder): Toe + Groin injury, confirmed to be absent. Colwell (defender): Muscle injury, confirmed to be absent. Enzo (midfielder): critical point of physical fitness, doubtful for playing. Caicedo (midfielder): critical point of physical fitness, doubtful for playing. Reese James (defender): Returned from injury, expected to start

Barcelona (injury wave): Pedri (core midfielder): Muscle injury, determined to miss Lewandowski (forward) : Cold, doubtful to play Rafinha (winger): Returned from injury, expected to start Araujo (defender): Muscle injury, doubtful to play De Jong (midfielder): Suspension ended, confirmed starting

Tactical characteristics and lineup predictions

Chelsea (3-4-3 formation):

Core tactics: Home defensive counterattack: Use the compact venue of Stamford Bridge + Three central defenders solid defense, wing blitz: James + Gusteau high-speed breakthrough and cross from both wings, midfield strangle: Kante + Bakayoko restricts Barcelona's midfield transmission, deadly weapon: Esteban grabs points in the middle + Delap’s counterattack speed

Expected starting lineup: Goalkeeper: Sanchez Defenders: James, Tomori, Badyasiele Midfielder: Gusteau, Kante, Bakayoko, Chilwell Forward: Neto, Esteban, Delap

Barcelona (4-3-3 formation):

Core tactics: Dominate the ball (65%+): Control the rhythm through De Jong + Gundogan in the midfield, break through from the wing: Yamal cuts in from the left + Raphinha crosses from the right, high-altitude bombing: Lewandowski (if played) + Conde's set-piece tactics, defensive hazards: high defense lines are prone to counterattacks by Chelsea's speedy forwards

Expected starting lineup: Goalkeeper: Ter Stegen Defenders: Alonso, Conde, Christensen, Cancelo Midfielder: De Jong, Gundogan, Fermin Forward: Yamal, Lewandowski (if healthy), Rafinha

Core player status

Chelsea: Esteban: 3 goals and 1 assist in the Champions League this season, he is the core of the team's offense. Reece James: Returned from injury, success rate of breakthrough from the wing is 49%, and is the key to counterattack. Kante: Midfield meat grinder, interception success rate is 68%, specifically targeting the Barcelona midfielder

Barcelona: Yamal: 6 goals and 8 assists in La Liga this season, speed 33.2km/h, breakthrough success rate 51% Gundogan: midfield commander, pass success rate 89%, Barcelona's offensive hub De Jong: return from suspension, will assume more organizational responsibilities

Historical confrontations in the past 4 times: Chelsea 1 win 2 Draw and 1 loss, scored 13 goals and conceded 12 goals. Most recent (2025.9.15): First round of the Champions League group stage, Barcelona and Chelsea (Stanford Bridge tragedy), Yamal 2 goals and 1 assist, Lewandowski 2 goals, Ferran Torres 1 goal, Pedri 1 goal

Direction of this game: 2-1 1-1 two or three goals