Back
21.12.2018Bundesliga

'It won't be easy to score'

The final game of the year is here. The Werkself entertain Hertha Berlin at the BayArena on Saturday (15.30 CET). Ahead of the home game, Heiko Herrlich fielded questions from the journalists at the pre-match press conference held at the media centre at the BayArena on Friday afternoon. The Werkself head coach spoke about...

…the personnel situation: "The loss of our two long-term injured players Panos Retsos and Joel Pohjanpalo is obvious. Aleksandar Dragovic is  fit enough again to be able to play tomorrow. With Lars Bender we'll see in the final pre-match training session if he'll be available tomorrow or not.“

…the lessons from the 2-1 win against FC Schalke: "After the Frankfurt game we realised we were indecisive at certain moments. Against Schalke, the team showed they are capable of standing up for themselves and giving their all. The Schalke game was definitely not a feast of football but there were a lot of positives nevertheless – for example in the way we created the chances to go 2-0 up against a well-organised side. And I'd like to remind people Dortmund only won the big derby at Schalke 2-1 a few days  before (matchday 13, ed.). Because it's difficult to win at Schalke.

…the challenge: "Hertha are a side that has taken points off top of the table teams and have had problems against teams below them at times. They have an incredibly strong defence, defend very well, are physical and it definitely won't be easy to score against them."

…the approach to the Hertha game: "Tomorrow, the club, every member of staff at Bayer 04 and the fans can expect the team to bust a gut to take all three points."

…Mitchell Weiser: "We're happy to have him here. Last year, Mitch only played three games for Hertha in the second half of the season but I think he's back on track now. He's played enough games since the summer for us to see the qualities he has in his game. He has come on really well but there's still room for improvement. I think he'll obviously want to show what he can do against Hertha tomorrow."

…playing against former teams: "Of course, you always want to show what you're capable of playing against former clubs. At times I played really badly against my former clubs because I was too keen to do well and was absolutely determined to show what I could do. But there were games that were very good. You have to keep calm and find the right balance in games like that."

…Lucas Alario: "He joined us really late last season due to the transfer mix-up. The needless dismissal at FC Köln was definitely a low point for him and it bothered him a lot. But he's scored nine goals in 23 games – I think that's not a bad return for a first season in Germany. He played a lot of games at the start of the season but lacked the luck a striker sometimes needs. But he always puts in a shift and he scored crucial goals against Augsburg and last week against Larnaca – and now he's scored again at Schalke. He's getting more involved in games and I'm happy  he's where he's at now and I think more goals will follow."

Homepage_MediumRectangle_300x250px_christmas.jpg

Related News

Begegnungslogo
Bayer 04 - 02.07.2025

Tickets for the friendly at Chelsea

The Werkself are away to Premier League club Chelsea in the final pre-season friendly. The game against the current holders of the UEFA Conference League is on Friday, 8 August at Stamford Bridge with the kick-off at 20:00 CEST. Read on for information on ticket sales.

Show more
Begegnungslogo
Bayer 04 - 02.07.2025

Tickets for the friendly at Fortuna Sittard

The Werkself are away to Dutch top-flight club Fortuna Sittard in the third pre-season friendly. The match is on Friday, 1 August at the Fortuna Sittard stadium with the kick-off at 19:00 CEST. Read on for information on ticket sales.

Show more
Begegnungslogo
Bayer 04 - 02.07.2025

Tickets for the friendly at VfL Bochum

The Werkself are away to VfL Bochum in the second pre-season friendly. The match is on Sunday, 27 July at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion with the kick-off at 18:00 CEST. Read on for the latest information on ticket sales.

Show more
Bayer 04
Bayer 04 - 02.07.2025

U21 Euros winner Jarell Quansah joins Bayer 04 from Liverpool

Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed the England U21 international and European champion Jarell Quansah. The central defender joins Leverkusen from Premier League champions Liverpool on a contract to 30 June 2030.

Show more
Bayer 04
Bayer 04 - 01.07.2025

New chapter – same fire: Bayer 04 and New Balance present 2025/26 home jersey

A striking look and innovative design as an expression of a forward-looking partnership: With the official presentation of the current home jersey, Bayer 04 Leverkusen and sports equipment manufacturer New Balance start a new era in tandem. For the first partnership with a professional German club, the American company from Boston, Massachusetts has developed a creative new interpretation of the Leverkusen club colours. A row of red lines, made up of slender crosses, merges into a black background. Inspired by the world famous Bayer Cross, the jersey is a symbol of a new beginning without forgetting historical roots.

Show more