Ahead of the clash with the league leaders, Bosz is focusing– as with any other game – primarily on his own team. “In the run-up to a match, we are 95 per cent concerned with ourselves,” the head coach said at the pre-match press conference. “We have to be brave and play our game.” The Dutchman is happy to dedicate the remaining five per cent to the team from Munich ahead of the match.
The reason: “I enjoy the way Bayern play. It’s a game for anyone who loves football. That’s how football should be played,” said Bosz, who praised the FC Bayern attack and their defence as well as the way they press.”
A win in tomorrow’s home game, as previously mentioned, would be the third victory in succession against the record champions. “If it does happen, then we’ll have achieved something special,” said Bosz before adding: “For me, it’s all about qualifying for the Champions League at the end of the season. And points against FC Bayern are always valuable for that target.”
The possibility of a win making the Bundesliga title race exiting again is of no real interest to Bosz. “It’s not about Bayern Munich for me but rather Bayer 04. We’re playing for ourselves and we want to take the points,” said the Dutchman.
As in last week’s game at Freiburg, striker Kevin Volland will again be in the squad for the home game against FC Bayern. “That means he can play,” Bosz explained. “But we have to be realistic: He’s been out for a long time. Therefore, he’s not yet in shape to play for the full 90 minutes.” Lars Bender will not be in the squad. The captain is still struggling with a foot injury and has yet to return to full training. “We don’t know how long Lars will be out for. But he’s heading in the right direction,” said Bosz.
Match info:
Broadcaster: Sky and Werkself Radio (bayer04.de)
Referee: The referee will announced on the day of the game
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Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personal Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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You have voted – your ‘Team of the Quarter-Century’ has been decided! This historic selection, covering the period from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2024, features honorary captains, Bundesliga champions, double winners and Champions League finalists. Edmond Tapsoba is the only player from the current Bayer 04 squad to make it into the starting XI, while his team-mate Patrik Schick is on the bench. Simon Rolfes, the current managing director sport, is also in the lie-up. A truly special team that brings together a quarter of a century of Bayer 04 history – and has left a decisive mark on the club.
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Following Patrik Schick, Mark Flekken, Ibrahim Maza and Kerim Alajbegovic earlier this week, the next World Cup participant is back on the training ground in Leverkusen: On Thursday 30 July, Malik Tillman rejoined the squad, completing his first training session under head coach Carles Martínez.
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