Bayer 04 suffered a last-minute defeat in the first leg against AS Monaco: Axel Disasi only scored the 3-2 winner for Monaco in the second minute of added time. "Of course it hurts that we didn't win the first leg," said Xabi Alonso. "But I've seen in the preparation for the second leg over the last few days that all the players are absolutely ready to fight for victory tomorrow. We definitely want to go through to the next round!” The Werkself will be supported by around 750 visiting fans at the Stade Louis II.
When asked about the heated final moments in the first leg, Alonso explained: "Tomorrow we have to find the right balance between emotion and control. We learned a lot from the first leg, so we have a clear plan for tomorrow. It’s important we take risks at the right time.”
confidence with Diaby And Schick
At the press conference, some details of Moussa Diaby and Patrik Schick were met with great interest from the media representatives. Centre forward Schick, who has been injured since November, was on the pitch for more than half an hour last weekend against Mainz and scored to equalise for the Werkself 2-2. “We were all very happy about that. Of course, he will need some time to get back to top form. But we see him on a very good path,” explained Xabi Alonso.
Moussa Diaby, on the other hand, had to sit out against Mainz due to a small muscle injury from the Monaco first leg. However, the France international was able to complete parts of the final training session today and travelled to Monaco. Alonso spoke about the chances of using the lightning-fast winger in the second leg: "Tomorrow we will weigh up the risks with the medical department and Moussa."
