Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen have on Wednesday forwarded a message of gratitude to their counterparts at Real Madrid.This comes after Xabi Alonso’s squad were given permission to train at

Bayer Leverkusen welcomes Mainz 05 to the BayArena for what promises to be a thrilling Bundesliga encounter. Both teams have hit impressive patches of form, ensuring a match that will demand attention from start to finish.

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Julian Alvarez scored a second-half brace as a 10-man Atletico Madrid came from a goal down to beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 at home on Tuesday, and take a major step towards a top-eight finish.

Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso lamented his side's failure to hold onto a first-half lead at 10-man Atletico Madrid, who fought back to beat them 2-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday, saying his side lacked the maturity to cope with the pressure.

Atletico Madrid host Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League with both sides vying for a place in the round of 16 at the end of the league phase. Diego Simeone's men come into this 11th in the UCL standings and one point off the top eight with Xabi Alonso's side fourth with 13 points from six games.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone said their 2-1 comeback win over Bayer Leverkusen would live long in the memory as he praised his side's bravery after they played more than an hour with 10 men in a thrilling Champions League clash on Tuesday.

Piero Hincapie had put Leverkusen a goal up in the first half, following Pablo Barrios' red card for Atleti, which had looked like it put the visitors on course for victory

Leverkusen is currently in fourth place with four wins and a draw in six games. Atletico is on the outside of the top eight looking in, with 12 points. The winner of this game will gain a massive advantage over the rest of the field to qualify for the next round.

The two standout German teams from last season are on opposite trajectories as the pressure mounts in the Bundesliga and Champions League.

Former Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez scored a 90th-minute winner to lift Atletico Madrid past Bayer Leverkusen 2-1

Bayer Leverkusen forward Martin Terrier has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury. Leverkusen says an MRI scan confirmed a torn Achilles.