Ahead of the press conference, the Werkself completed a somewhat different programme on Friday morning: Instead of the usual regeneration session at the BayArena, the players went for a bike ride along the Rhine. "We'd already planned that at the start of the week to consciously break the monotony, clear heads and take in a different atmosphere together," said Seoane at the press conference.
"The disappointment is still evident with everybody. That's why we've tried to process the defeat together but also look forwards at the same time. We want to have all our strength for the league run-in," added the 43-year-old coach.
For the game against the team currently lying twelfth in the Bundesliga, Seoane is primarily expecting his team to show more authority in front of goal: "The positive is that we are creating chances. We are doing a lot of sprints high up the pitch, and we make a lot of quick attacks with high intensity." At the same time, Seoane added: "We need more calm and determination in our finishing. So we have to work on being more effective."
The formation is not crucial in this respect according to the 43-year-old coach: "Which system we play depends on a lot of factors – the opponents, who we have available, as well as the condition of the players," explained Seoane and he added: "but however we play we have to be able to play to our strengths with more flexibility." The Swiss boss also primarily includes pace. "Through that we not only want to produce a good performance on the pitch on Sunday but also achieve a good result above all," declared Seoane.
With VfL, the coach is expecting a physical team who has their main strengths in the defensive area: "They have a lot of energy and power, always work well at the back so that they only give away a few goalscoring opportunities.”
The focus up front is primarily on their strength in the air as well as the Wolves' three strikers: Lukas Nmecha, Jonas Wind and Max Kruse. "All three have very high individual quality and they can make the difference with their ideas," said Seoane.
After the two midfield players Karim Bellarabi and Robert Andrich made a successful return to the pitch yesterday, Seoane can also look forward to another returnee to the squad: Julian Baumgartlinger is available again. The Black and Reds number 15 made his first comeback to the squad in the away game at Bayern Munich (1-1). The 34-year-old will again be in the squad for the Wolfsburg game.
Definitely ruled out are Andrey Lunev, Jeremie Frimpong (both ankle ligament injuries) plus Florian Wirtz, who suffered a torn cruciate in the last Bundesliga match against FC Köln (0-1).
Patrik Schick is also unable to play in the game at the Volkswagen Arena but he continues to make progress in individual rehab training and he completed an individual session on Friday morning too. "Patrik is in rehab training but he hasn't taken part in full training yet. The workload in the individual programme is different from training with the team. So he's not an option for Wolfsburg."
There is also a question mark over Timothy Fosu-Mensah. The right-back is today undergoing an MRI scan on his right thigh.
The highly successful and mutually appreciated partnership between Bayer 04 and head coach Xabi Alonso ends after two and a half years. The 43-year-old Spaniard has led the Werkself to three trophies. Above all, winning the first German league title in the club's history will always be associated with the name of Xabi Alonso. The former world class player, who won many hearts in Leverkusen as a person, now says farewell to Bayer 04. We look back at a fantastic time with the Basque who fulfilled the biggest dream of all Bayer 04 fans together with an outstanding team.
Show moreA few weeks ago Borussia Dortmund were marooned in mid-table mediocrity in the Bundesliga. Then the Black and Yellows started a run that overcame all comers. And suddenly a Champions League spot was again within reach. BVB will be looking to take the next step towards the big target at the BayArena on Sunday, 11 May (kick-off: 15:30 CEST). Coach Niko Kovac has almost his full squad available. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show moreA cracker of a semi-final at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The Bayer 04 U19 team entertain Bayern Munich on Saturday, 10 May (kick-off: 11:00 CEST/stadium opens: 10:00 CEST). In front of a home crowd, the team led by head coach Sergi Runge, who welcomes back an attacking player, is looking to build on the battling performances from the previous knockout games and "perform at the right moment." Tickets are available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the game will also be broadcast live on Sky.
Show moreBayer 04 Leverkusen will be the first Bundesliga club to open and operate a football academy in Brazil. The "Bayer 04 Football Academy São Paulo," led by Bayer 04 club legend Paulo Sérgio, will be established on the Bayer Brazil campus in São Paulo and accommodate up to 300 children and youth ages 5 to 15.
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