Lech host Bayer Leverkusen, having never beaten a German club

After a painful start to the league phase, Lech Poznań face another tough test. On Thursday at 18:45 they host Bayer Leverkusen at the ENEA Stadion in the second round of the Europa League. It will be the first ever meeting between the two clubs, and the statistics give Lech little cause for optimism. The opponents are demanding, and Lech's squad situation is difficult.

Two very different starts

Lech began the league phase with a 4–0 defeat at Crystal Palace in London and have no points after the first round. The trip to England cost them more than the result, too, as Murawski was sent off. Leverkusen beat Celje 2–0 in the first round, so they arrive in Poznań with maximum points. After a start like that, every point in the coming games will be worth its weight in gold for Lech.

It is harder to judge the Germans' league form, because reports of their latest league game conflict: mecze24 says they won 4–3 at Mainz, while sport1 says they lost at Elversberg. Whichever version is correct, Bayer remain the favourites for Thursday's game.

The German barrier

Lech have played German clubs five times in official competition. They drew two, lost three and have never won. That is nothing unusual by the standards of Polish football as a whole. According to the club's figures, Polish sides' record against German opponents in UEFA competitions (excluding the Intertoto Cup) is 6 wins, 14 draws and 31 defeats. That is just six wins in 51 games; Polish clubs lost more than 60 per cent of those matches. Thursday's match is therefore a chance for Lech to beat a German club for the first time.

Frederiksen's selection problems

Coach Niels Frederiksen will be without Murawski, who is suspended after his red card in London. The list of absentees is longer: Gholizadeh, Douglas, Sayyadmanesh and Moutinho are all injured. Walemark, who scored twice in the league game against Śląsk, is also a doubt. Losing him as well would be another serious blow for Lech. In all, Frederiksen could be without as many as six players.

Wednesday's press conference should shed more light on the players' fitness and the plan for the game.

League and Europe every few days

Thursday's game opens a busy spell. On Sunday at 17:30, just three days after the Bayer match, Lech host Korona in the Ekstraklasa, and their Europa League league phase also includes games against Sunderland (22 October) and Benfica (5 November). Poland's national team do not play again until 14 November, so until then Lech will be alternating between league and European fixtures.

Where to watch

Lech v Bayer is on Polsat Sport 1 and Polsat Sport Premium 1 in Poland, and online on Polsat Box Go. Kick-off is at 18:45 on Thursday at the ENEA Stadion in Poznań.