Nobody could have predicted what lay in store for the world the last time Bayer Leverkusen were at Ibrox. That was two-and-a-half years ago when the sides met in the last 16 of the Europa League and the Germans earned a vital 3-1 victory in Govan.
It would take five months for the return leg to be played as the morning after that match Scottish football was shut down as the full impact of Covid-19 took its grip on the globe.
Kai Havertz scored that night and is now at Chelsea while Michael Beale will again be in the home dug-out but only after spells at Aston Villa and QPR having recently returned as boss after following Steven Gerrard to Aston Villa a year ago.
Former Liverpool star Xabi Alonso is now at the helm of the Bundesliga side and will be in the opposite dug-out for Beale's first match in charge since succeeding Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
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