Despite Lazio's 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg, a place in the Champions League group stages is still up for grabs in a clash between European heavyweights.

Team News

Bayer Leverkusen: Six points from the opening two fixtures of their league campaign will have pleased Leverkusen fans but a place in the Champions League group stages is of huge importance for the club. Ahead of the second leg, the hosts have very few injuries unlike their opponents.

New signing Charles Aranguiz is sidelined until the new year with a torn achilles while defender Tim Jedvej is struggling with a muscular problem and is likely to miss out. Hakan Calhanoglu is one of many Leverkusen players expected to turn the tie around on Wednesday with his side being just 1-0 down.

Roger Schmidt's men have been victorious in four of their last five home games in Europe which may provide the supporters with more confidence. 

Projected XI: Leno; Hilbert, Tah, Papadopoulos, Wendell; Bender, Kramer, Bellarabi, Son, Calhanoglu; Kiessling

Lazio: Balde Diao Keita was the unlikely hero in the first leg, coming on as a substitute to score the lone goal of the match. Although they won at home, the trip to Germany will prove a huge test for Lazio, especially with their injury problems.

Miroslav Klose came off injured against Bayer Leverkusen and has been ruled out. To heap on more misery, club captain Lucas Biglia picked up an injury - Bologna at the weekend and will not feature in the second leg. Federico Marchetti and Filip Djordjevic are also out for the trip to Germany.

A 2-1 win in their Serie A opener will give Lazio confidence heading into their all important midweek fixture.

Projected XI: Berisha; Basta, De Vrij, Mauricio, Lulic; Onazi, Cataldi, Parolo; Candreva, Balde, Felipe Anderson

Background

Lazio's win over Bayer Leverkusen in Italy last week was the first win for either side in all previous meetings.

The Italian side have struggled in Germany, winning once in their last five trips.

Players To Watch:

Bayer Leverkusen - Hakan Calhanoglu: The Turkish midfielder has dazzled fans over the past couple seasons and will play a major role if his side want to book their place in the group stages.

Lazio - Felipe Anderson: Although there are rumours circulating around his future, Felipe Anderson is still with Lazio and the Italians will be calling on their Brazilian striker to put the tie to bed on Wednesday.

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About the author
Harry  Harris
Covering the Premier League, Bundesliga and NFL. Writing for VAVEL since May 2014. Chelsea FC and Atlanta sports.