OFI vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction, team news and preview

OFI vs Bayer Leverkusen: what the match decides

OFI face Bayer Leverkusen in League Stage matchday 3 of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday 22 October 2026 at the Pankritio Stadium. The league phase has 36 teams, so every point shapes which route to the last 16 a club ends up on.

Leverkusen sit second with two wins from two, six goals scored and none conceded, level on points with leaders Juventus on 6. Their position is marked as the 1/8-final play-off route. OFI are 18th with one win and one defeat, 3 points and a goal difference of +1, in the zone that points to the 1/16-final play-offs.

The match therefore decides whether Leverkusen consolidate a place near the top or whether OFI can add a second win to climb into safer territory. On current numbers, the visitors are clear favourites.

OFI and Leverkusen recent form

OFI's last five games read WDLLL: one win, one draw, three defeats, with 8 goals scored (1.6 per game) and 11 conceded (2.2 per game). They kept one clean sheet, failed to score once, and four of the five games went over 2.5 goals. The run includes a 2-0 home win over 1899 Hoffenheim, then defeats at AEK Athens (0-3), Rennes (1-2) and Kalamata (3-4).

At home OFI are in better shape: two games, one win and one draw, 4 goals scored and 2 conceded, with one clean sheet. That is 2.0 scored and 1.0 conceded per game, a clear improvement on their overall defensive record.

Leverkusen have won all five: 2-0 against Celje, 2-0 against RB Leipzig, 4-3 at Mainz, 4-0 at Lech Poznan and 2-1 against Freiburg. That is 14 goals scored (2.8 per game) and 4 conceded (0.8), with three clean sheets. On the road they have won both games, scoring 8 and conceding 3, an average of 4.0 for and 1.5 against.

OFI vs Bayer Leverkusen team news

OFI have three players listed as out: A. Leya Iseka and C. Sielis are both marked inactive, and N. Marinakis has a groin injury. No doubtful players are reported for the hosts in our data.

Leverkusen's list is much longer. E. Ben Seghir, C. Kofane and M. Terrier are out with muscle injuries, G. Doue has a calf injury and K. Eichhorn is ill. V. Boniface, J. Hofmann and T. Oermann are listed as off the roster, and M. Culbreath is doubtful with a foot injury.

That is eight confirmed absentees for the visitors, several of them in attacking areas, so their depth will be tested. Line-ups are not yet published; they are confirmed about an hour before kick-off.

Storylines for OFI and Leverkusen

For OFI the story is a sharp contrast between home and away. They beat Hoffenheim 2-0 on matchday 1 of this competition and drew 2-2 with Asteras Tripolis at home, but have lost their last three, all away from home, conceding 9 goals in the process. A second home win in Europe would be a significant step.

For Leverkusen the story is momentum. Five wins from five, including a 4-3 away win at Mainz and a 4-0 win at Lech Poznan, show a side that scores freely. Their clean sheets in both European games so far give them a strong early league-stage record.

The absence list is the one counterweight. If the squad copes without so many options, a third straight European win would keep them level with Juventus at the top.

Where OFI vs Leverkusen could be decided

The central contrast is OFI's defence against Leverkusen's attack. OFI concede 2.2 goals a game over their last five and have kept one clean sheet; Leverkusen average 2.8 goals and have scored in every one of those matches. Even allowing for OFI's better home figure of 1.0 conceded, that is a difficult task.

The other side of it is Leverkusen's recent defensive fragility in open games. They conceded three at Mainz and one against Freiburg, and OFI have scored in four of their last five. With 2.0 goals per game at home, the hosts have a route to at least one goal, particularly if the match turns open.

Tempo will matter. If OFI can slow the game and stay level into the second half, the absences on the Leverkusen side could start to bite. If Leverkusen score early, OFI's recent record of heavy defeats suggests the game could get away from them.

OFI vs Leverkusen head-to-head

No previous meetings between OFI and Bayer Leverkusen are included in our data, so there is no head-to-head record to draw on. This preview therefore rests on current form and league-stage standing rather than history.

OFI vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction

The lean is a Leverkusen win. Three facts drive it: they have won five out of five with 2.8 goals per game, they have won both away games by a combined 8-3, and OFI have conceded 2.2 goals per game and lost three in a row away from home.

On goals, the lean is towards over 2.5. Four of OFI's last five went over that line, and Leverkusen's away games average 5.5 goals in total. OFI have scored in four of five, so both teams scoring is plausible, though Leverkusen's two clean sheets in this competition make it a closer call.

What could change this: OFI's better home record, and Leverkusen's eight absentees. A fast home start could make the match tighter than the form suggests. It is a lean, not a certainty. MATCH PULSE's three AI engines (GPT, Claude and Gemini) publish their independent analysis of the match before kick-off.

How to watch OFI vs Bayer Leverkusen

No official broadcasters are listed in our data for this match. Check the UEFA Europa League's official broadcast partner in your country and its official app to see where the game is shown live.

The match is on Thursday 22 October 2026 at the Pankritio Stadium, and the page shows the kick-off time in your own time zone.

We have not listed this competition's broadcasters yet. Check the competition's official broadcast partner in your country and its official app.

Only official rights holders are listed; availability can change. Watching through unofficial streams is unsafe and unfair to the clubs.

Frequently asked questions