Most recently, Robert Andrich and Exequiel Palacios formed a strong central midfield at Bayer Leverkusen. Against Budapest there is a chance of probation for their representatives due to suspensions.
For Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday in the Europa League against Ferencvaros Budapest, it’s not just about confirming their good sporting form – it’s also a great opportunity to stay in the race for the premier class, which the league can hardly achieve anymore . However, the Werkself are plagued by personnel worries ahead of the home game.
Because the midfield center is practically on its own: Robert Andrich and Exequiel Palacios, who have recently ensured a lot of stability and calm, are blocked with their third yellow card. Charles Aranguiz, one of the substitutes, is injured. Only Kerem Demirbay, who repeatedly switched between the starting XI and the bench in the second half of the season, is fit. However, he is more offensive at home.
With Demirbay and Amiri against Budapest?
Demirbay should still be set against Budapest. The question of who will appear next to him is still there. Nadiem Amiri should clearly have the best cards. A bad omen: The last game with Amiri and Demirbay in the starting line-up was lost by Leverkusen 3-2 against Mainz in February. There they acted a little more offensively in front of the missing Andrich.
The 26-year-old Amiri has his strengths even further up front than Demirbay, more or less in the offensive midfield, where Florian Wirtz is an exceptional talent after his comeback. Despite Amiri’s offensive orientation, his experience remains: he knows the position in defensive midfield and has played several times this season on the “six”. He has that advantage over other possible players.
Duo Andrich and Palacios came up trumps
One thing is certain: Andrich in particular will be missing. He has become a fixture and has been in the starting XI for every game in the second half of the season. The Argentinian Palacios also flourished more and more alongside him, the duo Andrich/Palacios recently made the starting XI together three times. Result? No defeat in the league and progression in the Europa League.
This duo set the pace against Hertha BSC at the weekend – and it was quite fast at 4:1. But even without the two suspensions, coach Xabi Alonso believes in the team: “Of course Rob and Palacios are suspended, but I’ve always said we’re a team and we’ll have 23 men in the squad tomorrow. There are a few opportunities and we’ll be the best have a team on the field.”
New chance for representatives
But the suspension of the regular duo means that Demirbay will have to do the work that Andrich used to do: keep everything together defensively, close spaces, use good positional play and tackle behavior to ensure lots of ball wins and freedom for the talented and fast Bayer offensive .
This is exactly what was often criticized at Demirbay. He is considered technically strong, but rather average in a duel. Now he gets another chance to show such qualities. Amiri, on the other hand, could try to support the people in front in attack with his offensive drive.
Andrich believes in getting ahead
The actual midfield boss Andrich definitely believes in his representatives: “It’s better if I’m suspended now. Then I’ll be back in the quarter-finals and semi-finals.” The goal is definitely in sight, especially since the Werkself would move into the Champions League if they could win the Europa League. That is almost impossible to achieve in the league given ninth place.
