There should be plenty of fresh faces for Chelsea supporters to watch for the first time, with new recruits Jamie Gittens, Willian Estevao, and Jorrel Hato in line to feature.
Chelsea take on a Leverkusen side managed by former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, and the Dutchman has overseen plenty of change in personnel since his arrival in Germany.
Big names such as Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Jonathan Tah, Odion Kossounou, and Granit Xhaka have all departed, but ten Hag has already put his stamp on the squad with the arrivals of Mark Flekken from Brentford, Jarell Quansah from Liverpool, and Malik Tillman from PSV Eindhoven.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen is scheduled for a 7pm BST kick-off today, Friday, August 8, 2025.
The game will take place at Stamford Bridge.
How to watch Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen
TV channel: The match will be shown on Channel 5, with coverage starting at 6.30pm BST ahead of a 7pm BST kick off.
Live stream: Viewers can also stream the game for free on DAZN.
Live blog: You can also follow all the action with Standard Sport’s live blog!
Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen team news
There could be three debutants in the Chelsea squad, with Gittens, Estevao, and Hato all ready to play their first minutes.
Other new signings Joao Pedro and Delap could also make their home debuts against the Bundesliga side.
Benoit Badiashile, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo and Enzo Fernandez were fitness concerns following the Club World Cup final victory over Paris Saint-Germain, but the quartet could all feature after a three-week hiatus.
As for Leverkusen, ten Hag has a full complement to pick from.
Home debut pending: Estevao
Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction
The momentum is with Chelsea after their Club World Cup win and vibes are high after the arrival of Hato, who will rival Marc Cucurella at left-back.
Leverkusen, meanwhile, have lost a lot of key players and are still adapting to ten Hag’s principles, particularly after such a regimented spell of 3-4-2-1 under Xabi Alonso.
Chelsea look even stronger with their summer additions, and should have too much for the former German champions here.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen match odds
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).