Bayer Leverkusen are under pressure at AS Monaco in the Europa League on Thursday after losing the first leg of the playoffs. Sports director Simon Rolfes still firmly believes in progress.
With anger in my stomach Bayer Leverkusen left Cologne/Bonn Airport for the second leg of the Europa League playoff on the Côte d’Azur on Wednesday. The mass tussle after the first leg a week ago has not been forgotten.
tussles in the first leg
“We still have a score to settle,” said ex-national player Nadiem Amiri, referring to incidents after the 2-3 final whistle in Leverkusen. Sports director Simon Rolfes warned against overreacting. “Emotions are important, also for the game,” he said after the final training session on Wednesday: “But that mustn’t distract from the performance. We have to take this energy, the will to turn it around. But we still have to be controlled and clever remain.”
Captain and goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky had already announced last Thursday after the final whistle: “After these events we are highly motivated in the second leg.” He had condemned the behavior of the Monegasques in striking words. “Nobody can behave anymore these days. This is the new generation. Everyone thinks they have a bigger cock than the other,” the Finn had said: “It’s all children.”
Moussa Diaby remains in doubt
After the six changes to 2: 3 against Mainz in the league on Sunday, coach Xabi Alonso will rotate back vigorously. Among other things, national player Florian Wirtz will definitely be back in the starting XI. With top scorer Patrik Schick, it is by no means enough for 90 minutes, but he already managed 35 against Mainz.
The ailing Moussa Diaby completed training on Wednesday and it is very questionable whether he will play. “In the Europa League you can take all players on the bench. That’s why we don’t have to decide before the game,” said Rolfes. He believes “that we have every chance of progressing. The first leg was tight. And of course we can win in Monaco.”
In Monaco, despite the first-leg win, they are cautious. “One half is played,” warned goalkeeper Alexander Nübel, on loan from FC Bayern, in an interview with the German Press Agency: “Leverkusen have so many great players that nothing has been decided.” The 3: 2 is “a bit dangerous for the back of the head”.
