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“Is there anything better than getting to play in a sold-out stadium against the league leaders?” Christian Günter’s question requires no answer, and highlights the captain’s excitement ahead of Freiburg’s clash with the Werkself. Xabi Alonso’s side have been in formidable form so far and are yet to lose this season, going unbeaten in 37 matches across all competitions. In addition to sitting top of the Bundesliga, Leverkusen have also reached the quarterfinals of the Europa League and the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal.
However, one only needs to think back to the meeting between the sides earlier this season, which SC narrowly lost 2-1, to know that it’s possible to make things tough for Leverkusen. Several clubs have pushed the Werkself to the brink of defeat this term, although none have managed to succeed yet. With several talented players in their ranks, Leverkusen have the quality to pose a constant threat on goal. One such player is Florian Wirtz, who scored against Freiburg in this season’s reverse fixture. “We defended well against them earlier this season, but two moments of brilliance were enough to help Leverkusen come out on top,” Christian Streich said when looking back on the game.
Late goals for both sides
Leverkusen’s dominance this season has been defined by their patient build-up play with plenty of possession, coupled with a never-say-die attitude. The team have developed a taste for scoring late goals, most recently netting in injury times in both legs of their Europa League round of 16 tie against Qarabağ, as well as in the Bundesliga against both Augsburg and Leipzig. Alonso’s side also progressed in the DFB-Pokal due to a late winner against VfB Stuttgart.
This never-say-die attitude is also reflected in SC’s squad, who scored late on against both Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern München, as well as in the first leg of their Europa League tie against West Ham United.
According to Streich, one reason for Leverkusen’s spate of late goals is due to the fact that they have enjoyed a man advantage in each of their last three league games. “They have been able to rest a bit in their recent fixtures because they often found themselves playing 11 vs. 10. We’re still deciding what we can best do against them, but we’ll be heading into the game with confidence,” said the head coach.
Eggestein suspended
“Pool our strengths,” is the approach that captain Günter and Matthias Ginter are taking with them into the clash against the league leaders. “We aren’t the favourites, but we want to get a positive result in the Bundesliga once more,” Ginter said. The team can take confidence from last weekend’s win against Bochum with them into Sunday’s encounter. “We have what it takes to pose problems for any team. The important thing is that we’re able to finish our attacks, so that our opponents aren’t able to hit us on the counter-attack,” said Günter.
Streich will be without Maximilian Eggestein, with the midfielder suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card – it will be the first game he’s missed across all competitions in 2023/24. There are also doubts about whether Manuel Gulde will be able to feature, with the defender struggling with a muscular issue recently. Noah Weißhaupt will not be able to feature on Sunday.
Photo: Getty Images/Lukas Schulze
