Euro-Aus, injured, league pressure
Bayer Leverkusen is threatened with a bitter crash
3/18/2022 7:46 am
It’s a week to forget for Bayer Leverkusen: the football club has suffered three defeats and two serious injuries. Now only the Bundesliga remains – and the possible qualification for the Champions League. But mentally the team seems badly damaged.
Three defeats, two serious injuries – a week to forget has left its mark on Bayer Leverkusen. After the premature end of the Europa League, the third in the Bundesliga looks mentally bad. In the final spurt of the Bundesliga season, the Champions League return should be secured – and without the key players Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong. “Unfortunately, this is our last competition. But I don’t really want to think about it yet,” said midfielder Robert Andrich after the 0-1 (0-0) defeat against Atalanta Bergamo.
On Sunday Bayer has to play in the duel of the works clubs at VfL Wolfsburg (5.30 p.m. in the ntv.de live ticker). If the series of currently four competitive games without a win continues, there is a risk of falling out of the Champions League ranks. Even the entire European Cup qualification would then gradually come into jeopardy. This is not unthinkable despite the high demands in Leverkusen. Because the past week is having an impact.
The weak 2:3 in the round of 16 first leg in Bergamo was followed by the bitter 0:1 in the Bundesliga neighborhood duel with 1. FC Köln and the double bad luck for Wirtz (torn cruciate ligament) and Frimpong (torn syndesmosis). Even without the two and the still injured striker Patrik Schick (calf injury), a lot was achieved offensively in the second leg against Bergamo. The Werkself weren’t effective though – far too little to turn the 2-3 from the first leg and the bad atmosphere with it. Defender Jonathan Tah called the result “very disappointing”. And Andrich scolded: “I’m extremely annoyed and I’m very pissed off.”
Vigor, playfulness and callousness are missing
Wirtz’s vigor and playfulness and, above all, Schick’s callousness were missing everywhere against Bergamo. While the Czech attacker should be available again soon, Wirtz and Frimpong are not coming back this season. This not only means a severe handicap in sporting terms, it is also a mental stress test.
The end of the season for the two top performers shocked the rest of the squad, which was also evident on Thursday. Before the game, everyone in Leverkusen wore jerseys and the names of their injured teammates as they warmed up. “As a team we think about them and feel for them,” said Tah, who also warned: “We have to keep our focus and shake it off very quickly.”
Because Bayer has also come under pressure in the league due to the derby bankruptcy against Cologne. In view of only one point ahead of three pursuers, the goal of the season, Champions League qualification, is in acute danger. Right now, coach Gerardo Seoane needs qualities that he has recently mentioned remarkably often. “In the end we weren’t ripped off enough,” said the Swiss again after the Europa League end.