Back
14.12.2018Bundesliga

'We have to make sure everybody helps defend'

Thanks to a 5-1 victory against AEK Larnaca in Cyprus on Thursday, the Werkself have won their group in the Europa League. There is not much time to rest as in two days (Sunday 16 December, 18.00 CET) Bayer 04 face the next challenge with an away game at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. On Friday afternoon, immediately after returning to Leverkusen, Heiko Herrlich faced the representatives of the media.

The Werkself coach talked about...

...the personnel situation: "Everybody returned from Larnaca fit and well and nobody is complaining about serious injury. With the players left behind with slight knocks, we will probably have Jonathan Tah and Karim Bellarabi available again. There is still a big question mark over Sven Bender – we will  probably make a decision about his availability for Sunday tomorrow."

...targets: „"We have the chance with a victory – which is obviously our aim – to get within two points of Eintracht Frankfurt. Then we would be where we want to be – or at least heading in the right direction. I have the feeling the team has finally found their way out of a difficult phase and are ready to take the next step."

..the opposition: "The table never lies and Frankfurt have had a great season so far. After a difficult start, Adi Hütter (Eintracht Frankfurt coach, ed.) has done an incredible job.  They play unbelievably intensive and all-out football, similar to the way Jürgen Klopp's way of playing football. In the statistics on intensive runs per game and in the ground covered  they are amongst the top teams. They've had a very good first half of the season – it feels like the best in the last ten years."

...Eintracht's front three: "It's impressive the way Luka Jovic, Sébastien Haller and Ante Rebic have played this season. It will be incredibly important to get a grip of them on Sunday. The same actually applies to Makoto Hasebe, their driving force in midfield, who we will also have to take out of the game  – but according to press reports he is unlikely to play (due to a muscle injury Suffered in the Europa League game against Lazio on Thursday, ed.)."

...the Werkself attitude: "We were able to beat Frankfurt twice last season. In both games, we showed the mentality needed to win games like that. In the away game at Frankfurt, I remember the opening goal well  when Julian Brandt won the ball in his own penalty area, we quickly played up field down the left flank  and Kevin Volland was in the middle to score the goal. That ability to accept defensive responsibility – as Jule brilliantly showed – will definitely be needed on Sunday."

…the approach : "We have to be wide-awake, be very compact and really try never to let the Frankfurt attack us in a one-on-one so that they can't dribble facing our goal. We have to make sure that everybody really helps defend."

sky_1810_all_300x250_b04.jpg

Related News

Frauen-Heimspiele
Women - 20.11.2025

Women: Tickets on sale for home games against RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich

Tickets are on sale for the last two Bayer 04 Women's team home games in 2025. Fans can now purchase tickets for the matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium against RB Leipzig and the final fixture of the year in the Rückrunde opener against German champions Bayern Munich. The latest information at a glance.

Show more
Marc Landwehr
eSports - 19.11.2025

#B04eSports: Leverkusen miss out on a place in the offline round of showdown two

Eliminated ahead of the offline round: On Tuesday, 18 November, the Leverkusen console pros played the two remaining matches in the online preliminary round of showdown two. After picking up six points from the first four games last week, the #B04eSports team bagged another three in the two final duels - but it wasn't enough. The Leverkusen team missed out on a place in the offline knockout round, which will take place in this second showdown on 23 November in Frankfurt am Main.

Show more
Gegner-Check
eSports - 18.11.2025

#B04eSports: Our next opponents in second showdown

The VBL Club Championship by WOW 2025/26 continues today, Tuesday 18 November, with the last two of the six online preliminary round matches in the second showdown. Starting at 18:00 CET, Bayer 04 face Karlsruher SC, followed by Borussia Mönchengladbach at 19:00 CET. The games will be streamed live on the Bayer 04 app and on the club Twitch channel. The lowdown on our next opponents.

Show more
Bayer 04 Campus
Bayer 04 - 18.11.2025

New plan for the Bayer 04 Campus: Area reduced by a third, green corridor widened

Bayer 04 has presented the groups on the Monheim council with extensively revised proposals for the planned Campus. As part of constructive discussions, the club presented a plan to the CDU, SPD, Greens, FDP, PETO and the Left Party that envisages a one-third reduction in the area of the site on Alfred-Nobel-Strasse. The distance to neighbours will be increased by almost 60 percent. The green corridor will therefore be significantly larger than previously planned. Here are the main changes.

Show more
Kristin Kögel
Women - 16.11.2025

A thriller without a happy ending: Women exit DFB Pokal in Hamburg

A disappointing Sunday afternoon in the Hanseatic city: The Bayer 04 Women missed out on a place in the DFB Pokal quarter-finals after a penalty shoot-out at Hamburger SV. After more than 120 minutes of play, coach Roberto Pätzold's team lost 4-2 on penalties to the Bundesliga newcomers in front of 3,993 spectators at the Volksparkstadion. Julia Mickenhagen's brilliant strike to level at 1-1 on 73 minutes was not enough for the Werkself in this tie. The Bayer Leverkusen Women’s team reached quarter-finals in both of the previous two seasons.

Show more