Bayer Leverkusen keen for back-to-back victories after Milan victory.

Bayer Leverkusen vs. Holstein Kiel kicks off at 14:30 [GMT+1] on Saturday, October 5, at BayArena.

A single goal from Victor Boniface [51'] in the UEFA Champions League gave Bayer Leverkusen a 1-0 win over AC Milan. Following the victory, an elated Alonso praised his squad. ‘I think it’s great news that German football is competitive. It’s good news for us too to have achieved this result against Milan,’ he said. Now, having come off a hard-fought draw against Vincent Kompany’s Bayern in their last Bundesliga fixture, Leverkusen will welcome Bundesliga debutants Holstein Kiel. Despite collecting 10 points from their first five matches [3W, 1D, 1L], Leverkusen's start to this season is the worst for a reigning Bundesliga champion in 12 years. Xabi Alonso’s focus will undoubtedly be on shoring up his defence, after seeing his side concede six goals in their last two home matches in the Bundesliga, the same number they had let in across their previous 12 home games combined. Only 1. FC Köln in 1964/65 suffered a similar feat in two opening home fixtures as champions. Furthermore, with 10 goals conceded in their first five games, Leverkusen [WLWWD] currently have the weakest defence of any reigning champion since Wolfsburg in 2009/10 [11]. Victor Boniface is poised to spearhead Leverkusen's attack alongside the highly sought-after Florian Wirtz and Martin Terrier in a 3—4—3 formation. Boniface has scored three goals in five Bundesliga appearances this season while creating one assist. He has a 29% contribution to Leverkusen’s 14-goal haul.

Bottom-placed Bundesliga debutants Holstein Kiel continue to struggle with life in the topflight, having accumulated just one point from their first five matches [LLLDL]. It is the worst start for any debuting club in the Bundesliga, excluding the league's inaugural season in 1963/64. The last debutant who failed to secure a win in their first five matches was FC Augsburg in 2011/12, before going on to find a maiden win in their ninth game. Most recently, Holstein Kiel suffered a bruising 4-2 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt despite a brace from Shuto Machino [30’ P., 50’]. Goals from Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush [25', 65'], Igor Matanovic [47'], and Tuta [74'] ensured Machino’s brace counted for nothing. Now facing a monumental task against the defending champions, manager Marcel Rapp is expected to maintain a 4—4—2 formation, with Benedikt Pichler and Machino leading the line. The squad will be without Bernhardsson, who is sidelined with a hip injury. Andu Kelati and Colin Kleine-Bekel are both unavailable for this fixture.