Brest and Bayer Leverkusen played out a 1-1 draw in the Champions League on Wednesday, ending both teams' winning starts to the competition.

The German champions took early control and were rewarded with a 24th-minute lead when Florian Wirtz completed a superb passing move with a low finish.

Brest's 39th-minute equaliser was even more spectacular, with 31-year-old Pierre Lees-Melou powering in a sumptuous volley from the edge of the box to score on his maiden Champions League appearance.

The hosts had the better of the second-half chances, with Mama Balde coming the closest to a winner following a quick counter-attack, but he could only hit the side netting.

Both sides had penalty shouts at the end of either half, with VAR reviews leading to neither being given, and there was nothing to separate the teams after 90 minutes. 

Brest and Leverkusen are level on seven points from three matches, sitting third and fourth respectively, two points behind leaders Aston Villa.

Data Debrief: Wirtz shines as Leverkusen stutter again

It has been a mixed season for Leverkusen so far, with Xabi Alonso's side not quite hitting their free-flowing best from last term.

Wirtz once again starred for the visitors and became the fifth player born after the millennium to score 15 major European goals, after Phil Foden, Rodrygo, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Junior.

In fact, since his European debut in August 2020, he has been directly involved in more goals in major European competitions than any other German player (27 - 15 goals, 12 assists).

As for Lees-Melou, he became the second-oldest Frenchman (aged 31 years, 151 days) to score on his Champions League debut, after Daniel Bravo in 1994 (31y 217d).

Victor Boniface will miss Wednesday's Champions League game at Brest, with the Bayer Leverkusen striker still processing the shock of a car crash he was involved in on Sunday.

Xabi Alonso confirmed Boniface's absence on Tuesday, just two days after the forward was a passenger in a car involved in a crash.

Boniface had scored the winner in Saturday's 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt but sustained minor injuries to his hand and foot in the incident.

Alonso said the Nigeria international still needed some time to recover from the shock in the aftermath.

"He is not in the squad. After what happened, it's also a precautionary measure," Alonso told a press conference.

"He's missing for health reasons. He has a small wound on his hand, a small cut on his right foot. But the shock is bigger.

"Physically he is better but it is also an emotional issue. He feels good but he is not ready for tomorrow," Alonso said.

Boniface has scored seven goals across all competitions, including one in the Champions League.

Thankfully for Leverkusen, Alonso said he did not expect Boniface to be sidelined for too long before what could be an entertaining European clash.

Brest and Leverkusen have both won their opening two matches in the league phase of the competition.

Leverkusen are aiming for three straight Champions League wins for the fifth time, while this could be the second time they have done so in their opening three games of a campaign since 2001-02, going on to reach that season's final.

Victor Boniface scored a 72nd-minute winner as Bayer Leverkusen completed a 2-1 comeback victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Champions Leverkusen, who face Brest in the Champions League next week, missed a fifth-minute penalty through Boniface, but the Nigeria international made amends in the second half to lift Leverkusen up to 14 points in fourth place, leapfrogging Eintracht.

It was a day that also saw RB Leipzig provisionally take over the Bundesliga lead with their 2-0 victory at Mainz.

Leipzig went top on 17 after easing to victory ahead of Bayern Munich, also on 14, taking on Stuttgart later on Saturday.

Leverkusen shot out of the blocks against Eintracht and came close after a minute with a strike from Granit Xhaka.

They were awarded a penalty soon after, but Boniface's weak effort was saved by Eintracht keeper Kevin Trapp.

Eintracht scored first with their own spot kick in the 16th minute with the league's leading scorer Omar Marmoush, who also hit the woodwork, bagging his ninth goal of the top-flight campaign.

The Egypt forward has now scored in six consecutive Bundesliga matches.

Leverkusen's Robert Andrich completed a superb passing move in the 25th minute to draw the hosts level and the Germany international came close to another goal when he rattled the post with a low drive just past the hour.

But it was Boniface who scored the winner, heading in at the far post after Trapp failed to control a cross into the box.

The visitors squandered a golden chance to level deep in stoppage time after a mistake by Leverkusen's Lukas Hradecky, who became the first non-German goalkeeper to reach 300 Bundesliga matches.

But Leverkusen prevailed after defender Jonathan Tah managed to clear the ball off the line.

Data Debrief: Relentless Leverkusen prevail

While the outcome of this match remained uncertain until the final moments and the winning goal came relatively late in the game, Leverkusen deserved their victory.

Marmoush’s goal from the spot was one of only two shots on target the visitors managed, whereas Leverkusen racked up nine attempts on target and had 27 shots overall, accumulating a big expected goals (xG) total of 3.75.

That total of 27 shots is their highest in a league match in 2024-25 and nine of the attempts came from a relentless Boniface, the joint-highest total for any player in a Bundesliga game this season.

Boniface now has a team-high five league goals this season, though even those impressive figures are dwarfed by the brilliant Marmoush, who has racked up nine goals and four assists in his last six top-flight appearances for Eintracht.

Florian Wirtz is set for a spell on the sidelines after sustaining a capsular injury to his right ankle while on international duty with Germany.

The midfielder suffered the injury during Germany's 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in the Nations League on Monday, being replaced at half-time by Bayer Leverkusen team-mate Robert Andrich.

Leverkusen confirmed the 21-year-old underwent an MRI scan on Tuesday and is receiving treatment. However, the club also confirmed it is unclear when Wirtz will return to training.

He is a doubt for their return to Bundesliga action against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, with a Champions League meeting with Brest following that next week.

Wirtz, who was named the Bundesliga Player of the Season last campaign, has been an influential figure once again for the champions this term. 

He is their joint-top scorer with four goals (along with Victor Boniface) in the Bundesliga and has created the joint-most chances (19, level with Alex Grimaldo). His 18 dribbles completed is also a team-high, boasting a 48.65% success rate (37 attempted).

Xabi Alonso slammed Bayer Leverkusen's complacency, which saw them squander a two-goal lead to draw with lowly Holstein Kiel ahead of the international break. 

Victor Boniface and Jonas Hofmann had given the hosts a comfortable advantage after the first eight minutes, but Kiel, yet to win this season, capitalised on Die Werkself's wastefulness. 

The visitors pulled a goal back in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time through Max Geschwill, with Fiete Arp scoring from the spot after the break following Jeremie Frimpong's foul on Armin Gigovic. 

Leverkusen have now lost seven points from winning positions in the Bundesliga this season, with only Bochum and Wolfsburg (both eight) losing more.

"I am not satisfied with our performance. It was our own fault," Alonso told reporters. 

"We did not play intelligently, and we thought the game was done, but in football you have to keep going always with the same intensity.

"We were far too passive. After a big game in the Champions League, we did not have the right mentality for this game."

It was an encounter dominated by Leverkusen for large parts, with the hosts failing to take advantage of their dominance before the break. 

14 of the hosts' 23 shots during the contest came in the first 45 minutes, with six of those on target, but they only managed to register an expected goals (xG) total of 0.8. 

They struggled to find an opening after the interval, with Florian Wirtz's 63rd minute effort the only shot on Timon Weiner's goal in the second half. 

"We had control but soft control without the aggressiveness for a third goal. The first Kiel goal just before half-time was a signal that it could get dangerous," Alonso said.

"But the biggest mistake was in the first half because we did not know how to handle the game after the 2-0.

"We were just not intelligent enough. There was a bit of complacency when we should have been more focused. We will learn."

Bayer Leverkusen again let a lead slip, having to settle for a 2-2 draw against Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga, in Xabi Alonso's 100th match in charge of the club.

Victor Boniface slotted in after just four minutes to put the hosts in front, netting his fourth league goal of the campaign. 

And Leverkusen struck again before Kiel could recover, with Jonas Hofmann's low drive getting the better of Timon Weiner, who should have done better, to put them 2-0 up inside eight minutes.

Kiel, however, refused to back down and pulled one back on the stroke of half-time thanks to Max Geschwill's far-post header.

Jeremie Frimpong then brought down Armin Gigovic in the box, and Fiete Arp made no mistake from the spot as he got the promoted side back on level terms in the 69th minute.

Leverkusen missed the chance to go level on points with leaders Bayern Munich, and instead sit fifth. 

Data Debrief: An early lead slips

Alonso would have been hoping to mark his 100th game in charge with a much more positive result, especially having won 66 of his first 99 in charge.

It was not for lack of trying though, as they had 23 shots in the game, seven of which were on target - a much-improved tally from their meagre three attempts against Bayern last weekend.

In fact, The Werkself have still taken the most shots (117) and had the most on-target (44) in the Bundesliga so far this season.

However, they have also dropped seven points from winning positions in the competition, with only Bochum and Wolfsburg (both eight) losing more, and that is something Alonso will be keen to stamp out sooner rather than later.

Xabi Alonso hopes to mark his 100th game in charge of Bayer Leverkusen with a victory, but the Spaniard is not underestimating bottom club Holstein Kiel. 

Alonso led his side to a win over Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday, with the Bundesliga champions one of only seven teams with a perfect record in the competition so far. 

But their fortunes in the league have been much different, taking 10 points from their opening five games, the latest of which ended in a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich. 

Leverkusen's start to the campaign is the worst by a reigning champion in 12 years since Borussia Dortmund managed eight points after the first five games in 2012-13. 

But Alonso, who has won 67 of 99 games in charge of Die Werkself, is wary of the threat this weekend's opponents provide despite their league position. 

"Every league match is tough, and we have learned that this season already," Alonso said.

"We expect the same tomorrow. They only have a point but deserve a bit more than what they have at the moment."

"In our heads and our preparation, it is only Kiel. We have full respect. They are a good opponent, very flexible in their lineup.

"I expect to see my team to be mature and intelligent. We have to show that we are fully prepared.

"My team plays with the same motivation in every game, so I have no reason to doubt them, and we will hopefully show it tomorrow."

Many of Leverkusen's problems this term have come from defence, a part of their side that was crucial in their domestic double last season. 

Die Werkself conceded just 24 times last campaign, 15 less than Stuttgart in second place. 

Leverkusen have already conceded six goals in their last two Bundesliga games at the BayArena, as many as they let in across their previous 12 home matches combined.  

Only 1. FC Koln in 1964-65 conceded as many goals in their first two home games as champions.

And with a total of 10 goals conceded from their first five games, Leverkusen has the worst defence of a reigning champion since Wolfsburg in 2009/10 (11).

Alonso stressed the importance of improving defensively, and he is confident that a win and a clean sheet will give his side a solid foundation to build on after the international break.

"If we win then we will have had a good phase (until the international break)," Alonso said. 

"Then we can prepare for the next block of matches. It was important that we are defending a bit better than we had been last month.

"That is something we need. Without it, we are not competitive, and we want to be competitive."

Paulo Fonseca viewed Milan's display in their Champions League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen as their best performance of the season.

Milan went down 1-0 at BayArena on Tuesday, meaning they have now lost both of their matches so far in the new-look competition.

The seven-time European champions are now winless across their last six matches against German opposition in major competitions (D4 L2) since a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in April 2007.

Milan came on strong after Victor Boniface's goal early in the second half, though prior to that had been by far second best, mustering only one shot and 0.04 expected goals (xG) in the opening 45 minutes.

They hit the woodwork in the second half while Lukas Hradecky made a smart stop to deny Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and despite the rather grim match statistics, Fonseca believes his team turned in their best display of the campaign.

"We didn't win, but it's the game I've liked the most since I arrived here," Fonseca told Sky Sport.

"Especially in the second half. We played a fantastic game, it's not easy against a team like Leverkusen.

"We are sad and disappointed with the result, but I am satisfied with the courage and form shown.

"It was difficult for us. In the first half we suffered on the wings."

In the closing minutes, Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie made a challenge on Loftus-Cheek at the edge of the area, which the Milan boss believes should have resulted in a penalty.

"For me it's a penalty, it's an intervention on the line," Fonseca said. "What's strange is that they haven't even reviewed the situation. The referee during the game had no doubts, but I don't like to talk about the referee."

Speaking to Milan TV, Fonseca said his side deserved to get something from the game.

"I honestly think the result is not fair, in the second half we created many clear chances," he said.

"It's true that we didn't win, but there was an improvement in our growth. It was evident. This is why we must move forward, because the growth is evident." 

Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso says his team "have to know how to suffer and fight" after their Champions League win over Milan.

Victor Boniface scored early in the second half at BayArena on Tuesday, and though Milan hit the woodwork as they searched for an equaliser, the Bundesliga champions held firm.

Leverkusen have now taken six points from their opening two Champions League matches.

After dominating the first half, in which they mustered six shots on target – only once ever having more on record (since 2003-04) when facing Real Sociedad in October 2013 (seven) – Leverkusen were less convincing following Boniface's goal.

But Alonso put that down to fatigue following Leverkusen's 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich on Saturday, in which his side were largely dominated but held on for a point.

"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," Alonso told Sky Sports.

"Our first sixty minutes were good but in the end we suffered from fatigue after the game against Bayern Munich.

"We showed spirit and character, these three points are very good. In the Champions League you have to know how to suffer and fight, not just play well.

"We struggled a lot to score but maybe after the goal we changed our approach too quickly. Maybe we lacked something on a physical level.

"We had the right respect and took them very seriously. The last 20 minutes were not quite as good, but the players gave everything to get the three points."

Leverkusen are now unbeaten across their last ten home games in major European competition (W7 D3), their longest such run in club history.

Paulo Fonseca warned his Milan side they to be "defensively perfect" to get a result at Bayer Leverkusen in Tuesday's Champions League clash.

Milan suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool in their European opener despite Christian Pulisic firing the Rossoneri into a third-minute lead.

The Serie A giants will be looking to get off the mark at the Bay Arena but head coach Fonseca said they must be flawless at the back.

"I don't think about changing (much), we need to have continuity. We know it's a different game, (but) I think it will be a similar game to the one against Liverpool," Fonseca told a press conference on Monday.

"Defensively I think the team has grown, it's a good test to see our defensive capabilities at the moment. I told the players that to beat a strong team like Leverkusen we need to make a defensively perfect team."

Xabi Alonso's Bundesliga champions began their campaign in Europe with a 4-0 win at Feyenoord but they have conceded 10 goals in their first five league games after letting in just 24 in 34 matches in the 2023-24 domestic season.

Seven-time European champions Milan, the only Italian side to triumph more than once in the Champions League era, are the top scorers in Serie A with 14 goals in six games this term.

"It is true that we have done well in the league in the last few games, but I have to say that Serie A is very different from these games we have in the Champions League," Fonseca said.

"Today I was made to read Xabi Alonso's words. When we talk about Italian teams, we always say the same thing - that (they) are good at defending and playing on the counter-attack. I would like other things to be said when we talk about Milan.

"We don't want to be like that. Tomorrow we will obviously defend because we will play against a very strong team, but when we have the ball we still want to play.

"I'm curious to see the team's behaviour in a different game to those we had in Serie A."

Milan may be without Spanish striker Alvaro Morata, who opened the scoring in their 3-0 home win against Lecce on Friday despite starting with a slight knock.

"He (Morata) made a big effort to play the last match," Fonseca said. "He is doubtful and we will manage him. Let's see how he is tomorrow. We don't want to take any risks." 

Bayer Leverkusen are "honoured" to take on a team with the pedigree of Milan, so says Xabi Alonso.

Milan made a poor start to the season, failing to earn a win in their opening three Serie A games while they also lost their Champions League meeting with Liverpool.

However, they have turned things around on the domestic front with three successive victories, including a 2-1 win over reigning Serie A champions and city rivals Inter.

Milan have won the European Cup/Champions League on seven occasions, and Alonso - who was part of the Liverpool side that famously overcame the Rossoneri on penalties in the 2005 final - says it is an honour to go up against one of the continent's great clubs.

"Fundamental for my career. After 20 years we still talk about that night," Alonso said.

"Then two years later we lost to Milan but that victory in 2005 was incredible. It was [nearly] 20 years ago, we have to think about tomorrow. Milan is still the history of the Champions League.

"I've always liked Milan. Arrigo Sacchi, Fabio Capello, and great players, and to play against them is a great honour for us."

Despite Milan's inconsistent start to 2024-25, Bundesliga champions Leverkusen know to expect a stern test.

"It's one of those games when you have to play smart. With the ball, without the ball, you have to be patient, you have to be ready, you have to be focused," Alonso said.

"An Italian team is always dangerous. They know how to have patience. They are ready to defend low or to play with possession.

"Milan don't have to be dominant to be dangerous. Sometimes they have good possession, sometimes they have good counter-attacks."

Leverkusen won 4-0 away at Feyenoord in their opening Champions League match, and Alonso is relishing playing in Europe's elite club competition in front of the home fans on Tuesday.

"We're excited that the Champions League is back in our stadium," he added.

"That we're back in this competition and that we're playing our first home game against a huge club in the history of football." 

Leverkusen are aiming to win their opening two games of a Champions League campaign for the first time since 2001-02, a season in which they would go on to reach the final.

Xabi Alonso was proud of his Bayer Leverkusen players after they produced a resolute defensive performance to earn a 1-1 Bundesliga draw at Bayern Munich.

After Robert Andrich gave Leverkusen the lead, Bayern's Aleksandar Pavlovic levelled with a stunning half-volley from 25 yards out which gave goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky no chance.

Bayern, who had won all four of their previous league games under Vincent Kompany, had 18 shots to Leverkusen's three and almost 70% of the possession.

That is the fewest shots Leverkusen have attempted in any of their 98 competitive matches under Alonso, while they also generated just 0.07 expected goals (xG) to Bayern's 1.32.

Despite their lack of attacking threat, Alonso was delighted with his side's defensive resilience, saying: "The energy and belief at Bayern is different to last season, they are going full throttle with and against the ball. 

"That was very tough today. We can be happy with the point. I needed more energy from the team.

"I'm happy with that. We were ready to suffer and we did that. We need the discipline and passion of the players.

"It wasn't easy, we didn't have control of the ball. It was a challenge to defend. The point is important... The whole team did very well. We hardly had a chance to breathe but I'm very proud of my players."

Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka, who provided the assist for the opener, said their main strategy was to be compact and deny Bayern opportunities to score.

"We are self-critical. If you score three goals every game, that's not enough. If we play well today and switch gears, we can do something," Xhaka said.

"Defensively, we put in a good performance. The goal today was to be compact and concede little. You can certainly do more with the ball and everyone knows that we can do more. If someone had told us before the game that we would get a point, we would have taken it."

Leverkusen will next turn their attention to the Champions League, when they host AC Milan on Tuesday. 

Vincent Kompany is hopeful Harry Kane's knock is nothing serious, after the Bayern Munich striker limped off during the 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen.

The England captain, who did not register a single shot during the game, was injured in a collision late on at the Allianz Arena, where Aleksandar Pavlovic cancelled out Robert Andrich's earlier effort.

The stalemate saw Bayern drop their first points of the Bundesliga season, while they turn their attention back to the Champions League with a trip to face Aston Villa in midweek.

Whether Kane features at Villa Park remains to be seen, but Kompany hopes his forward is fit for a return to England.

"I'm not a doctor, but I hope it's nothing serious," the Bayern boss told Sky Sports. "It's still early to say. Hopefully, he'll be fit for Wednesday."

Although Bayern's 100% start to the league campaign is no more, Kompany saw plenty of positives in his side's display.

"As a Bayern coach, you always want to win," he added. "But the performance was as we'd hoped. The counter-pressing was positive, we won the second balls, we created so many chances.

"Normally, in such a game, you don't create many chances, but we did. It was a top game, but there are still many games to go. We just have to keep going."

Bundesliga heavyweights Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen played out an enthralling 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena.

Two long-range strikes, one from Robert Andrich and another from Aleksandar Pavlovic, ensured a share of the spoils on Saturday.

Defending champions Leverkusen scored with their first chance in the 31st minute when Granit Xhaka controlled a corner with his chest and set up Andrich outside the box, with the Germany international's sweeping low shot drilled through a crowd of players into the bottom corner.

Their lead did not last long, however, as a poor clearance fell to Pavlovic and the midfielder pulled the trigger from 25 yards with a half-volley that brushed the fingertips of goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky as it sailed into the top corner.

With Serge Gnabry having hit the post and then crossbar in quick succession, Bayern dominated proceedings in the second half, with Leverkusen pegged back. The hosts boasted an expected goals (xG) total of 1.32 at full-time compared to their opponent's meagre 0.07xG.

But despite their 18 shots, Bayern could not clinch a decisive second goal.

Bayern stay top with 13 points, while Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen are third with 10 points, a point behind RB Leipzig, who thrashed Augsburg 4-0.

Data Debrief: Wonderstrikes and fine margins

Bayern hit the woodwork twice through Gnabry in a matter of seconds, but ultimately only managed to get three attempts on target, while Pavlovic's stunning equaliser came with an xG value of just 0.02.

That being said, Leverkusen - who hammered Bayern 3-0 in their last meeting - hardly offered much going the other way, having just three attempts in total.

This top-of-the-table clash also marked the first time in three years that Harry Kane has not attempted a single shot after starting a league match. The last time was when he represented Tottenham against Crystal Palace in September 2021.

Their one goal, however, does mean Bayern have scored in their last 12 games in the Bundesliga, scoring 33 goals in that run.

Bayer Leverkusen will need a perfect performance if they are to earn a result against Bundesliga title rivals Bayern Munich on Saturday, according to Xabi Alonso.

Leverkusen became the first team to go unbeaten through a Bundesliga campaign as they clinched their first title last season, ending Bayern's 11-year reign in the German top flight.

Bayern are determined to bounce back under new boss Vincent Kompany, though, and they sit three points clear of Leverkusen ahead of the teams' huge meeting at the Allianz Arena.

With four wins from four games and a goal difference of +13 (16 scored, three conceded), they have made the joint-best start to a season in Bundesliga history – only Bayern themselves in 2016-17 and Stuttgart in 1996-97 have matched that record.

Alonso is expecting a huge challenge against his former club, telling reporters: "The anticipation is great and we want to show a good game. 

"We need a perfect performance to take something home with us. FC Bayern have made a good start to the season, it will be a challenge tomorrow. 

"We need to play at our highest level, with and against the ball for 90 minutes. Bayern will go full throttle, we have to be ready for that."

Leverkusen have already conceded nine goals in the Bundesliga this term, the most they have allowed at this stage of a season since 2014-15 (also nine).

The last reigning champions to ship nine goals in their first four games of a campaign were Kaiserslautern in 1998-99, while the last holders to concede more were Bayern in 1974-75 (11).

After a rollercoaster 4-3 win over Wolfsburg last time out, Alonso is desperate to see his team tighten up at the back.

"The team has to be compact, we have to defend together as a team. We have a clear gameplan, we can't be too soft and we can't allow large gaps," Alonso said.

"We have a clear gameplan as to how we want to play. We will give everything... If we don't defend well, it's hard for the players to win. We want to be consistent. We don't want to be up and down."

Following their trip to Bayern, Leverkusen host Italian giants AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday.