Hoping to make a significant impression in the Champions League after last season's remarkable achievements, Bayer Leverkusen will face Feyenoord on Thursday evening.
The German champions will meet last season's Eredivisie runners-up in their league-phase opener, with an electrifying atmosphere anticipated at De Kuip.
Feyenoord, crowned Dutch champions for the 16th time in 2023, had to settle for second place behind PSV Eindhoven last season, even though their final points total was two higher than when they claimed the title the previous year.
While the Rotterdam club secured the KNVB Beker as a consolation prize, their title-winning coach Arne Slot departed for Liverpool, and new manager Brian Priske was brought in from Sparta Prague.
So far, the Danish coach has managed just one victory in four league matches. He kicked off his tenure with a penalty shootout win against Ajax in the Johan Cruijff Shield, but after letting a win slip away at Groningen last week, his team now trails PSV by nine points.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
How to watch Feyenoord vs Bayer Leverkusen online - TV channels & live streams
The match will be shown live on TNT Sports in the UK. Live updates can be found here on GOAL.
How to watch anywhere with VPN
If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport.
Feyenoord vs Bayer Leverkusen kick-off time
| Date: | Thursday, September 19, 2024 |
| Kick-off time: | 5:45 pm BST |
| Venue: | Stadion Feijenoord |
The match will be played at the Stadion Feijenoord in Rotterdam, Netherlands on Thursday, September 19, with kick-off at 5:45 pm BST for fans in the UK.
Team news & squads
Feyenoord team news
Although Arne Slot left De Kuip alongside Netherlands defender Lutsharel Geertruida, who recently transferred to Leipzig, Feyenoord has managed to keep their star striker Santiago Gimenez, who is expected to lead the attack on Thursday.
New summer signings Jordan Lotomba and Hwang In-beom might also see playing time, but key midfielder Calvin Stengs is unavailable due to a knee injury, and on-loan left-back Hugo Bueno has been out since last month with a muscle issue.
Austrian centre-back Gernot Trauner, who sustained a thigh injury during Euro 2024, returned to first-team action on Saturday and is likely to be included on the bench.
Feyenoord possible XI: Wellenreuther; Lotomba, Beelen, Hancko, Smal; Timber, Zechiel; Nieuwkoop, Nadje, Paixao; Gimenez
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Bijlow, Andreev, Wellenreuther |
| Defenders: | Hancko, González, Hartman, Mitchell, Trauner, Bueno, Lotomba, Smal, Beelen, Read |
| Midfielders: | Zerrouki, Ivanušec, Moussa, Hwang, Paixão, Stengs, Timber, Milambo, Nieuwkoop, Zechiël, Nadje |
| Forwards: | Santiago Giménez, Ayase Ueda, Ibrahim Osman, Julián Carranza |
Bayer Leverkusen team news
Bayer Leverkusen will head to Rotterdam with no significant injury issues, and Xabi Alonso is likely to have a full squad at his disposal, assuming Exequiel Palacios passes a fitness assessment.
As a result, Victor Boniface—who scored twice in the Bundesliga over the weekend—and Patrick Schick will compete for a spot in the attack, while Robert Andrich and Aleix Garcia will vie to partner with captain Granit Xhaka in midfield.
Florian Wirtz is set to make his Champions League debut. Over the past four seasons in the Europa League, the German forward has been directly involved in 24 goals.
Bayer Leverkusen possible XI: Kovar; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Andrich, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Terrier, Wirtz; Boniface
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Hrádecký, Kovar, Lomb |
| Defenders: | Tapsoba, Kossounou, Hincapié, Tah, Arthur, Belocian, Natali, Fofana, Hawighorst |
| Midfielders: | Xhaka, Frimpong, Palacios, Grimaldo, García, Andrich, Tella, Puerta, Aourir, Onyeka, Marsenic |
| Forwards: | Wirtz, Boniface, Adli, Schick, Hložek, Hofmann, Terrier |
Head-to-Head Record
This is set to be the first-ever meeting between Feyenoord and Bayer Leverkusen since the turn of the century.