Chelsea return to action for the first time since winning this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup when they host Bayer Leverkusen in a preseason friendly.
The Blues have enjoyed several prosperous months as they secured Champions League qualification and won the Europa Conference League at the end of last season, before being crowned world champions in the United States in mid-July. However, attention now turns to the new term, with Chelsea beginning their Premier League campaign at home to Crystal Palace on August 17.
Chelsea will warm up for their London showdown by hosting Leverkusen and then AC Milan in friendlies, with their band of new signings in line to make home debuts.
Leverkusen have recovered from their humiliating 5–1 defeat to Flamengo’s Under-20s in Erik ten Hag’s first match in charge of the club, with the ex-Manchester United boss having since secured friendly wins over Bochum, Fortuna Sittard and Pisa. Having lost manager Xabi Alonso and a number of their brightest talents over the summer, it promises to be a challenging season for the German side.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to Friday’s pre-season encounter.
What Time Does Chelsea vs. Bayer Leverkusen Kick-Off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Stamford Bridge
- Date: Friday, August 8
- Kick-off Time: 7 p.m. BST / 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT
Chelsea vs. Bayer Leverkusen Head-to-Head Record (All Time)
- Chelsea: 1 win
- Bayer Leverkusen: 1 win
- Draws: 0
- Last meeting: Bayer Leverkusen 2–1 Chelsea (November 23, 2011) - Champions League
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Chelsea vs. Bayer Leverkusen on TV
Chelsea Team News

Chelsea announced Levi Colwill underwent successful surgery to repair an ACL injury that is set to keep him sidelined for a majority of the upcoming campaign.
Maresca also confirmed that Wesley Fofana should make his comeback at the beginning of the new Premier League season, but will be unavailable for the upcoming battles with Leverkusen and Milan.
Jorrel Hato, Jamie Gittens and Estêvão will all be keen to make their unofficial debuts, while João Pedro, Liam Delap and Dário Essugo should turn out for the first time at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea players.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Leverkusen (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; James, Chalobah, Hato, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernández; Neto, Palmer, Gittens; Pedro.
Bayer Leverkusen Team News

New signings Axel Tape, Jarell Quansah and Mark Flekken will earn more minutes in Ten Hag’s defence on Friday evening, while summer recruit Malik Tillman will be eager to make his debut for Die Werkself after his big-money move from PSV Eindhoven.
Leverkusen have lost Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool this summer, while Granit Xhaka and Jonathan Tah have also departed for Sunderland and Bayern Munich respectively. They will have to adapt quickly to life without four crucial players.
Bayer Leverkusen Predicted Lineup vs. Arsenal
Leverkusen predicted lineup vs. Arsenal (3-4-2-1): Flekken; Quansah, Tapsoba, Hincapié; Arthur, Palacios, Andrich, Grimaldo; Hofmann, Tella; Schick.
Chelsea vs. Bayer Leverkusen Score Prediction
Chelsea might be a tad rusty following a month out of action but confidence will still be high from their Club World Cup triumph. Maresca is likely to name a strong starting lineup as preparations properly begin for the new term.
This is not the same Leverkusen team that dominated the Bundesliga in 2023–24 and they have sold a host of crucial performers across the pitch. Ten Hag is yet to face a challenge of Chelsea’s size in pre-season and he may be handed defeat on his return to England.
Prediction: Chelsea 3–1 Bayer Leverkusen
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea vs. Bayer Leverkusen: Friendly Preview, Predictions and Lineups.