Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen Predictions

• Liverpool have won six of their seven home games this season, including each of their last five
• The Reds have conceded two goals in two of their last three games
• Bayer Leverkusen are averaging over 2.25 goals per away game this season
• Luis Diaz has scored six league and cup goals this season in nine starts and five substitute appearances

Alonso may suffer from Slot’s Anfield advantage 

Liverpool look virtually unopposable at Anfield and should utilise their home advantage to take another three Champions League points when Bayer Leverkusen arrive on Merseyside this week.

Tuesday’s clash pits Arne Slot against the manager who most Liverpool fans wanted to succeed Jurgen Klopp when he announced last season would be his last in the Anfield dugout. Xabi Alonso had other plans, which involved staying with Leverkusen for at least another season.

But the success Slot has enjoyed since his seamless transition from Feyenoord coach to Liverpool boss has turned public opinion around and any victory over Leverkusen this week would be further vindication of the decision to appoint the Dutchman.

Wasteful Werkself have been dropping points

The Reds arrive in red-hot form, having won 10 of their last 11 games to jump to the top of the Premier League table. Leverkusen’s defence of their thrilling inaugural Bundesliga triumph has been less convincing, but they are also unbeaten in 11.

Alonso’s men have tossed away a few points of late, conceding a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen and allowing Holstein Kiel to cancel out a two-goal advantage in a similar high-scoring stalemate last month.

They were also pegged back by Brest in their last Champions League game, drawing 1-1 in France after beginning the competition with solid wins over Feyenoord and AC Milan. Milan also fell victim to Liverpool in the first round of League phase fixtures and it is interesting to compare each side’s victory over the Rossoneri.

Liverpool totally dominated their 3-1 win at the San Siro, recording 24 attempts on goal and forcing the Milan goalkeepers into a combined nine saves while Alisson made only one at the other end. But Paulo Fonseca’s side outshot Leverkusen 17-16 at the BayArena with Leverkusen’s Lucas Hradecky required to make five stops in order to preserve a clean sheet in a narrow 1-0 success.

Diaz can deliver against weakened Leverkusen 

Milan are hardly consistent this year, so the comparison may count for little if they just had a complete off day against Slot’s side, but the eye test from having watched both games tells you that Liverpool are playing superior stuff at the moment.

Slot has plenty of firepower at his disposal, although Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa are still out. But he can rotate a fresh Luis Diaz back in on the left-hand side and the Colombian’s in-house competition for that spot with Cody Gakpo has been pushing both players into some scintillating form.

Diaz will be a big goal threat on Tuesday going up against whoever Alonso selects to replace first-choice right-back Nordi Mukiele, who suffered a thigh injury in their 0-0 draw with Stuttgart on Friday. But Leverkusen are hardly short in firepower themselves and it may be worth backing Liverpool to maintain their superb home record with goals at both ends in this clash.