LEVERKUSEN RELY ON CHAMPIONSHIP FORM

BERLIN – Bayer Leverkusen will hope to put their erratic Bundesliga form behind them and adopt their most determined European game face when they host Atletico Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 first leg tonight.

The Germans have lost nine times in their domestic campaign while dropping to eighth in the table, but can take comfort from an unbeaten 10-match streak at home in Europe as they seek to advance past this knockout stage for the first time.

Leverkusen did reach the Champions League final in 2002 where they lost to Real Madrid but at the time there was no round of 16, but only two group stages with the quarterfinals following after that.

They now hope their European form will carry them past the Spanish club that reached the final in two of the last three seasons.

“Why not win against them?” asked Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno. “If we show our Champions League face, then everything is possible.

“You can see the team really wants it. We are fighting, we are fighting for each other and that was not necessarily the case a couple of weeks ago.”

Leno has every right to feel confident with Leverkusen having won their last two league matches, including Friday’s 3-1 victory at Augsburg, to boost their confidence and offer coach Roger Schmidt some respite.

Atletico, who lost in the Champions League final in both 2014 and 2016 to their city rivals Real Madrid, were beaten by Leverkusen 1-0 in Germany two years ago but advanced on penalties in the return leg.

Diego Simeone’s men may not have excelled as in past seasons, having lost three of their last eight fixtures but they have yet to lose on the road this year.

They will be without defender Diego Godin, ruled out with injury but will have goalkeeper Jan Oblak back after his shoulder injury.