Firstly I wouldn’t put Bayer Leverkusen In the same category with Girona and Bologna in the champions league. Yes they haven’t won it but they are very much familiar with the competition, they have even in the last few years been in the competition more than even Aston Villa who had won it in the past. It will be a mixed feeling for First time Girona, maybe they will push harder to the quarterfinals like Leicester did when they came or fall fiat like Union Berlin
I agree with you that Bayern Leverkusen is more than such rating in the champions league. Perhaps he is using obsolete data because there is no way to compare Bayern Leverkusen with Girona and Bologna, that is a serious error. And referring to Aston Villa winning of previous champions league holds no water because that was not in this age and such records cannot be used as a basis for anything in this time and age. Aston Villa used to be a very serious team then, from what I have read but they have been struggling to remain in the premiership until lately when they became better and even qualified for the conference league season before last followed by their qualification for the champions league this season. They are doing well but I will not be confident playing them or expecting them to make any serious impact in the champions league next season.