With an extremely short recovery period, Heiko Herrlich has to get his players fit again and ready for the next opponent within three days. "It was a special situation and we didn't plan the defect of course. That's why I sent the players home," said the head coach at the pre-match press conference ahead of the Mainz game. All of the first-team squad are to complete their regeneration sessions at home as an exception – whether that's by walking or riding a bike. "It doesn't make sense for everybody to drive home and then return in the afternoon. Sleep is the best regeneration. Everybody should recover well – and then we'll get back together tomorrow for training."
Players with knocks – the Bender twins, Paulinho, Wendell and Dominik Kohr – were treated immediately on arrival at the BayArena. Heiko Herrlich did not have any worries about the latter named: "With Wendell, I'm assuming we'll sort it out in good time. Sven Bender's problem with his neck before the game against Rasgrad was unexpected but we are hopeful he may be able to play on Sunday." The 46-year-old coach was more reserved in his assessment of Lars Bender: "Lars went into yesterday's game with a knock. He gritted his teeth and fought his way through. In the second half he was on his last legs so I took him off. We'll have to see what happens today and tomorrow."
Regardless of the recovery phase – the Bayer 04 coach hopes to be able to "take the momentum from the Europa League into the Mainz game" and improve the record (ten wins, four draws, ten defeats). "I hope the team has taken a small step forwards." After three defeats in the first three Bundesliga matches, he wants to prove at the almost sold out family matchday, "that we're still hungry. Football is a competitive game and I hope we've absorbed the experience from Rasgrad." On Sunday, the boss is looking for Bayer 04 to produce a determined performance against Mainz who are currently in sixth place with seven points from three games.
The fact that the opposition will be fresh and rested for Sunday's game and don't have to struggle with travel strains is no excuse in the eyes of the head coach. "If you're playing in Europe then you have to live with it. It's all in the mind! You have to work, switch off and then get back at it the next day. You only have to jump that hurdle in your head once," said Herrlich. "Our lads are fit and they'll show that on Sunday."
The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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When Exequiel Palacios moved from the Argentinian club River Plate to Bayer Leverkusen on 1 January 2020, the then 21-year-old could not have imagined just how successful the next six and a half years would be for him. Pala, as he is known, had already won the Copa Libertadores – the most prestigious competition in South American club football – with River Plate. But there were still so many more trophies to come.
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To mark Exequiel Palacios’s departure, we’ve put together a compilation of the midfielder’s finest and most important goals from his six-and-a-half years at the club.
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