Hello, Mitch. You’re up against your former team-mates on Saturday afternoon. There’s a lot riding on the game for the Werkself. What sort of reunion are you expecting at your previous club where you spent three years?
Weiser: To be honest – we have to win and I’m trying to ignore everything else. We have to be fully-focused on the game.
You’re in a race with Gladbach and Frankfurt to qualify for the UEFA Champions League in the coming season. You’re just two goals behind the crucial fourth spot going into the final matchday. Gladbach have to play the title challengers Borussia Dortmund, Frankfurt are away to FC Bayern while you appear to have the easiest game against Hertha.
Weiser: We’ve just got to look after ourselves. Schalke didn’t have much to play for last weekend – and yet they still gave all they could to get a result at the BayArena. It definitely won’t be any different against (Hertha) Berlin. There are no easy games in the Bundesliga. Anyone who plays football wants to win. And it’s Pal Dardai’s last game as the Hertha coach – he’ll want to say goodbye to the Berlin fans with a win and he’s sure to motivate his lads. We have to be prepared for that.
So you don’t expect the Berliners to ease off?
Weiser: No, Hertha definitely won’t make it easy for us. But perhaps we can make Hertha ease off if we are on the front foot from the start. I experienced that two years ago when Bayer 04 won 6-2 at Hertha… I think we just didn’t have the energy. But you have to work hard to make the opponent tire, take your chances and spoil it for them.
Is there a special match plan?
Weiser: Our style of play is always offensive and we try and attack the opposition box whatever the score. The most important thing is we succeed in scoring goals again to win the game in the end.
…and do you need a bit of help or can you make up the two goals on Gladbach under your own steam to finish the season in fourth place.
Weiser: Yes. But, as I said, we have to win our game against Hertha. And then we’ll have to see what happens in the end. Whichever team finishes fourth on Saturday night deserves to be there. Of course, I hope it’s us.
The Werkself just missed out on qualifying for the Champions League last season. Then it was only three goals less than Dortmund and four less than Hoffenheim in terms of goal difference.
Weiser: We all know what’s at stake. You could feel that in the dressing room all week. Unfortunately, we dropped points against Schalke last weekend – but otherwise we’ve had a good second half of the season. We want to get our rewards for that effort.
You’re right about that: After matchday 18 you were seven points and 17 goals away from fourth place...
Weiser: Yes, it would be incredible after the first half of the season that wasn’t very good at all. It would be a massive success for us if we finish fourth. But first of all we have to beat Hertha. We’re all up for the game and we believe in ourselves.
Bayern Munich come to the BayArena this Saturday with an 11-point lead in the Bundesliga as they look to take a step closer to the title. As imperious as they may seem, a weakness has emerged of late that the Werkself proved they can exploit in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the Champions League. Leverkusen are also looking to make it four Bundesliga home games unbeaten against the Bavarians. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the 15:30 CET kick-off in our matchday news.
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Another home game, another top opponent - another marker? Three days after their convincing performance in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg, Bayer 04 continue their Bundesliga campaign with an equally high-calibre fixture. Matchday 26 sees league leaders Bayern Munich visit the sold-out BayArena. Ahead of the clash, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about a comparison between Arsenal and the Bavarians, Bayern's high-scoring performance in Europe's premier club competition and a return to the squad for one Werkself player.
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High spirits and previously untold stories: Around 100 Bayer 04 fans packed the Schwadbud fan pub in the east stand of the BayArena on Thursday evening to be there in person for the first instalment of the new series of events entitled “Rudi lädt ein” (Rudi invites you). They listened intently as long-serving Werkself players Gonzalo Castro and Stefan Kießling chatted with record appearance-maker Rüdiger Vollborn and presenter and stadium announcer Tobias Ufer about their many years together at the club, shared amusing anecdotes and revealed dressing room secrets. Anyone who missed the premiere can already look forward to the second instalment – on 12 May, Rudi will be testing the expert knowledge of Bayer 04 fans during a quiz night.
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The Bundesliga home game against VfL Wolfsburg in the first half of the season was one of those classic ‘days to forget’ for Bayer 04 Women. It started with goalkeeper Charlotte Voll being shown a red card in the first minute of the game, and following a further sending-off, coach Roberto Pätzold's 9-women side ended up losing 5-1 to last season's runners-up. At 18.30 CET on Sunday, they'll have the chance to exact revenge at the AOK Stadium - and pick up valuable points in the race for third place.
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They're well on their way to becoming German champions for the 35th time and once again proved their incredible class in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. This Saturday, 14 March (kick-off: 15.30 CET), Bayern Munich will be the visitors to the BayArena. It'll be a meeting of the two Bundesliga teams with the most dominant styles of play. A look at our opponents shows the visitors from the Bavarian capital have many strengths - but are also vulnerable.
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