Ryukyu and NeoPhoenix meet at a pressure point on the glass. Cooley and Kawamata give Ryukyu extra possessions, while Sasaki, Davis and Brown give NeoPhoenix efficient first looks. Leverkusen and Stuttgart bring a different version of the same contest: a high press against a home side that has several ways to renew an attack.
Ryukyu's offensive rebounding has been a steady part of its league attack, and Kobe's bigs recently found repeated second chances against NeoPhoenix. Cooley played substantial minutes in Ryukyu's latest game, with Kawamata adding another active body after his hand injury return. Jerrett's older injury notice has no new match designation, so the current minutes for Cooley and Kawamata matter more here. Oura and Nwaba can turn those extra possessions into inside finishes or open shots, with Ravena another late handler. That's why I'm siding with Ryukyu to win.
Stuttgart's early press can reach García, but Leverkusen have answered setbacks through Maza and Schick in open play and García's delivery to Tapsoba at restarts. Stuttgart's recent away shutouts conceal the clean chances they allowed. Stiller left the cup game at halftime and his absence is confirmed for this match; Karazor and Prömel would take on his first-pass work. Bayer's own absences were already present in the cup response, when Maza and Schick supplied new attacking routes. I expect the first press to give way to renewed home attacks and a separate winning finish. That's why I'm siding with Bayer Leverkusen.
