Bayer was not in the most difficult group, where the “pharmacists” were given the role, if not the favorite, then a clear contender for the playoffs. However, already in the first round it became obvious that it would be difficult to justify this status. Bayer lost 0:1 to Club Brugge away. The crisis, in which the team fell from the very start of the season, became deeper and led to the resignation of Gerardo Seoane. He was replaced by Xabi Alonso, who still had the opportunity to improve the situation in the Champions League, but at home under his leadership, Bayer lost 0:3 to Porto and then painted a 2:2 draw in Madrid with Atletico, depriving himself of playoff chances. By the last round, the pharmacists come in last place in the group with four points and still have a chance to bypass Atletico and be in the playoffs of the Europa League. The mattress have one point more.
Club Brugge were definitely considered the main outsider of their quartet until the start of the Champions League group stage, which is not surprising, given that before that the Black and Blue had never reached the playoffs of the tournament. However, rather quickly, the team of Karl Hoefkens called this status into question, beating Bayer 1:0 at home without the slightest chance for the Germans. Brugge did not stop at what they had achieved, having obtained two more than confident and no less sensational, victories over Atletico (2:0) and Porto (4:0). A goalless draw in Madrid against the “mattress” in the fourth round ensured the “black and blue” participation in the playoffs of the tournament, so in the last round they allowed themselves to relax, losing 0:4 to Porto, having conceded for the first time in the fifth round. By the way, if you are interested in true soccer prediction, we recommend that you follow the link.
