After a long injury break, Patrick Schick is getting better and better. He could make the difference for Bayer 04 in the second half of the season and perhaps as early as Wednesday in the cup (6 p.m. against SC Paderborn).
It was two games in four days that made Patrik Schick’s eyes shine. Against Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, his Werkself were behind until the 79th minute after BVB took an early lead with a goal from Julian Ryerson in the 5th minute.
First contact with the ball becomes a template
Just seconds after being substituted on, the Czech was in the right place at the right time for Leverkusen and played a sweet pass to Victor Boniface, who equalized to make it 1-1. “Of course I’m happy that I scored a goal in the last game and now an assist and could help the team,” said Schick after the game against BVB.
The whole team is happy for Schick
Three days earlier, the center forward, who was repeatedly plagued by injuries, scored the goal to make it 2-0 against BK Häcken in the Europa League – his first goal after 284 days and three more or less successful comebacks.
A cathartic moment for the 27-year-old, who ran straight to the Leverkusen bench to see the medical department and the two team doctors, Dr. Karl-Heinrich Dittmar and Dr. Stefan Porten, who looked after him during his seemingly endless injury break. A little later he disappeared into a cheering crowd of his teammates.
And against Dortmund too, most of the players didn’t run to Boniface after the goal, but to Schick. “We played very well, it’s a shame we didn’t score a second goal, the chances were there.” Leverkusen found it difficult to find spaces and gaps against Dortmund who were deep in defense and defended sacrificially. “I’ve never seen Dortmund play like that. All the players were behind the ball, that was very difficult for us,” said a surprised Schick.
Various injuries set Schick back
For the striker, who is in his third season at Bayer Leverkusen plays, it’s important to get back into a rhythm after various injuries. Last season, Schick only played 14 Bundesliga games due to complaints in the adductor area and sat out most of the second half of the season.
These complaints continued into the current season. On matchday 8, Schick celebrated his return to the squad. A week later he made a one-minute comeback against SC Freiburg. A calf injury then set the Czech international back up again – he missed the entire month of November.
After his recent comebacks on the international stage and on Sunday in the Bundesliga, Schick is now symptom-free. “Fortunately I’m healthy again, I’m no longer in pain. I’m feeling good at the moment. But we have to start slowly,” says Schick, who will gradually be integrated back into the team.
On Wednesday in the DFB Cup against Paderborn
If Patrik Schick remains injury-free, it remains to be seen what role he will play in the current Leverkusen team. It will probably be different than it was two years ago. At that time, Schick was the undisputed number one striker with 24 goals in 27 league games. This is different now. With eight goals and five assists, Boniface is indispensable for Bayer.
For Schick, the position of the pursuer remains. Probably also in the DFB Cup round of 16 on Wednesday (6 p.m.) in the NRW duel with second division team SC Paderborn.
