Bayer Leverkusen return to Champions League action on Tuesday night against last year's competition winners Barcelona. The Spanish club will host Roger Schmidt's in-form Leverkusen side, without Lionel Messi.

"It's the sort of game that everyone looks forward to playing in. The stadium is huge and they are an excellent team – it's like a dream. We worked hard to reach the Champions League last season, so we're going to enjoy the game.," said Christoph Kramer when looking ahead to Tuesday's match.

After three Bundesliga losses in a row, Roger Schmidt's side have returned to form in the last week with wins against Mainz and Werder Bremen. Having also won the opening group game of the Champions League against BATE Borisov, the Leverkusen players are optimistic about their chances heading to the Nou Camp.

"We're not going there to make up the numbers or for some sort of holiday," Kramer explained. "We're doing well at the minute and are confident in ourselves. We're not going to simply sit back and let them dictate play."

It may be the best time for the trip to Barcelona, with the treble winners from last season having an inconsistent start to the season themselves. After lacking in goals in the season's opening matches, a 4-1 loss to Celta Vigo last week made headlines across Europe.

At the weekend, the Catalan club won 2-1 at home to Las Palmas, but at a price. Star-man Lionel Messi will be out for the next 7-8 weeks. "We're sorry for Messi," said Bayer Leverkusen chief Rudi Völler. "It's always wonderful to watch him play." Despite Völler's big heart, there's no second-guessing the fact that Messi's loss could be vital to a positive result for the Bundesliga side.

The battle of the unbeaten

Bayern Munich have started this season in stunning form, winning all nine of the club's competitive fixtures so far. But on Tuesday a team with an even greater record will be in Munich, as Crotian club Dinamo Zagreb travel to Germany having not been beaten in 45 fixtures. This, though, will be the club's biggest test since that record began.

"It's normal to think we can play the best match in the club's history and they can have one of the worst nights in their history," said head coach Zoran Mamic. "Everything is possible in sport. If we put in a performance like the one against Arsenal, we can get a positive result."

However now is not the best time to face Pep Guardiola's side. The German champions come into the fixture off the back of two comfortable wins, with Robert Lewandowski scoring seven goals in his last two games. "I hope he's got nothing left," joked Dinamo full-back Josip Pivaric.

In scoring his second-half brace against Mainz on Saturday, Lewandowski secured his 100th and 101st goals in the Bundesliga. Sporting director Matthias Sammer joked that his two goals against Mainz were not enough, but was serious in his words when speaking of the task at hand against Dinamo Zagreb.

"Until now we are very satisfied, we have maximum points," said Sammer. "But if we draw against Dinamo and lose against Dortmund [on Sunday in the Bundesliga] then everyone will be asking why we have messed up our season start."

Guardiola told reporters at a press conference on Monday that both Arturo Vidal and Sebastian Rode are doubtful for the game, with only "14 or 15 players" available to play.