"It feels good to be back here but I don't want it to be about me, it's about the match tomorrow and the players," stressed Xabi Alonso at the start of the press conference. "I've not thought about it that much in the run-up. My thoughts have been more on optimum preparation for the game."
Granit Xhaka also spoke about his experiences at Anfield: "I've got good and not so good memories here. Of course, I've told my team-mates about them. Tomorrow is a big challenge but also a big chance for us. We have a clear plan and want to assert our game."
Continuing to focus on the match, Alonso added: "We can expect a great game at this special place. They're in very good form at the moment – both in the Premier League and in the Champions League. They play a very high speed and intensity and have several options in the squad. They're one of the best teams in Europe."
Xhaka reserved particular praise for Liverpool star Mohamed Salah: "He brings a lot of quality. He's had an incredible career and continued to improve. He's become a big legend here, in my opinion. You certainly have to double-up on him because he's always dangerous - particularly on his left foot, but he also makes a lot of assists and is physically strong."
Nevertheless, the coach does not intend to change his team's own style of play. "We're well prepared," said Alonso. "We have our principles - both sporting and mental. Of course, you always change things here and there, it's a fluid process. But we produced our best performance so far against Stuttgart last time out, and that's how we want to perform again."
Alonso is without Nordi Mukiele (muscle strain) for the clash with the Premier League leaders. His players will therefore "have to stand tight together as a team, so that everyone helps". Martin Terrier will also not be involved. The forward did join in with training on Monday morning but has stayed in Leverkusen as he doesn't yet feel "his best", confirmed the Spaniard.
Leverkusen will be supported by 3,200 fans at Anfield on Tuesday night.
The German Football League (DFL) has announced the three candidates for Bundesliga ‘Rookie of the Month’ for February. Among the candidates is Werkself player Jarell Quansah. Fans of Bayer 04 can vote for their favourite on the Bundesliga app from now until Thursday, 5 March (23:59 CET).
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On a day that celebrated 50 years of official Bayer 04 fan clubs with festivities on the pitch during the match against FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday, New York-based Werkself Warriors were proudly represented on the field by co-founder Alex Kramm.
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Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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