Back
5.11.2019Champions League

Atletico lack 'clinical finishing' too

Diego Simeone has predicted his team will face a tough battle against Bayer 04: "I'm expecting a Leverkusen team who will produce their best performance." The coach of the top Spanish club Atletico Madrid fielded questions from German and Spanish members of the media at the pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow's Champions League clash at the BayArena (6 November, kick-off: 21.00 CET).
20191105_PK_Atletico_Madrid_67774.jpg

The 49-year-old Argentinian highlighted the strengths of the Werkself: "They are a team with very good players, they play very attacking and fast football." However, those qualities were not decisive in the first meeting: Alvaro Morata came off the bench to score the only goal of the game on 78 minutes for the Spanish side with a header.

The 27-year-old could well be in the starting line-up with his four goals in the last four games as could central defender Mario Hermoso, who said at the press conference: "We want to play and we’ll treat the match as if it's a final." And moving the pre-match training session from the BayArena to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, due to it being the fourth home match in twelve days, was not a negative factor for the Madrid side. "We've heard we won't be able to train in the stadium tonight. But that doesn't bother us. Our mentality is good," said the 24-year-old summer signing Hermoso, who played for Espanyol last season.

Simeone: Atletico's weak point

Simeone looked at an aspect of the game that has occupied the Werkself for several matches: conversion of chances. "I can explain one situation after another to you as reasons why we haven't scored. But what we are really missing is clinical finishing," declared the Argentinian.

 

Related News

Ibrahim Maza beim Ballon d‘Or 2026
Bayer 04 - 26.10.2026

Maza nominated for Men's Young Talent of the Year at the Ballon d‘Or 2026 ✨

Werkself player Ibrahim Maza has been named in the top ten in the ‘Men’s Young Talent of the Year’ category for 2026. The 20-year-old was at the London Palladium on Monday evening for the 2026 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony. Fernando Carro, Bayer 04 CEO, also attended the ceremony. Lamine Yamal of Barcelona was named the winner in the ‘Men’s Young Talent of the Year’ category.

Show more
Moussa Diaby und Loïc Badé
Bayer 04 - 26.10.2026

Diaby and Badé sidelined

Bayer 04 will have to manage without forward Moussa Diaby for their upcoming matches. The 27-year-old Frenchman sustained a thigh injury in the 3-0 defeat against TSG Hoffenheim yesterday afternoon, Sunday 25 October. Diaby is expected to be available again after the international break in November.

Show more
Die U19 von Bayer 04 im UHS
U19 - 26.10.2026

U19s face Marseille youth team in friendly on UEL matchday

The Bayer 04 U19s are set to host Marseille in a top-level friendly. The match against the French side is at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Thursday, 5 November, at 14:00 CET. Admission is free for fans. A few hours later, the two clubs face each other in the Europa League at the BayArena.

Show more
Edmond Tapsoba, Jonas Hofmann und Co. nach Abpfiff
Bundesliga - 26.10.2026

Werkself review: ‘It wasn’t our best day’

It has been a long time since feeling what it’s like to come away empty-handed. The last – and so far only – defeat of the season, in Elversberg, was two months ago. Since then, Bayer 04 have followed that up with seven wins and a draw. Now it has happened again away to TSG Hoffenheim. As the match progressed, the Werkself grew in confidence and “could even have scored the opening goal”, as Robert Andrich said after the game. In the end, it was the side from Sinsheim who sealed a 3–0 victory after “hectic closing stages” (kicker). The Werkself review.

Show more
Women: TV-highlights of 0-2 loss at Nürnberg | 8th matchday
Werkself-TV - 25.10.2026

Women: TV-highlights of 0-2 loss at Nürnberg

Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04 Women's 0-2 loss at 1. FC Nürnberg on Matchday 8 of the 2026/27 Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga.

Show more