Chance of a first against Monaco
The Werkself sat in the charter plane, glued to their laptops and smart phones, waiting for the final whistle in in Monaco.
All became clear just before taking off from Moscow on the previous matchday: AS Monaco’s win against Tottenham ensured Bayer 04 qualified for the last sixteen.
Chicharito and Co. can now approach the final group game of the year in the Champions League without any pressure (20.45 CET, BayArena). “I’m looking forward to the game,” said the Leverkusen head coach Roger Schmidt. His team will be keen to give one hundred per cent again at the BayArena and provide the fans with a win to round off the group stage. Tickets are still available so come on down.
Remain unbeaten
Although second spot is secure and first place unachievable, even with a win, the match against the French side provides the Werkself with a top-level encounter and the chance to finish the group stage unbeaten. That would be a first for Bayer 04 in eleven Champions League campaigns to date.
Monaco are also unbeaten ahead of matchday six. And the team coached by Leonardo Jardim clocked up a confidence-boosting 5-0 win against SCBastia at the weekend. The captain and super star Radamel Falcao, who missed the home game against Bayer 04 due to injury, scored twice and newly capped French wonder boy Thomas Lemar scored with an excellent lob. With the retired formula one driver Felipe Massa looking on, the 17-year-old Kylian Mbappé, often compared to a young Thierry Henry, plus substitute Guido Carrillo netted the other two. AS Monaco are currently second in Ligue 1 with an incredible 49 goals scored, just three points behind league leaders OGC Nice and a point ahead of PSG.
Youth League: U19 need to win
Anyone looking for excitement will find it in the Youth League on Wednesday. The Leverkusen U19 team faces a make or break meeting with AS Monaco in the final group match. The team coached by Markus von Ahlen and Iraklis Metaxas have to turn round a 2-1 defeat in the away game in the Principality to finish second and secure progress to the next round. The match at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium kicks off at 14.00 CET, and entrance is free. The game will be broadcast live on www.sport1.de.
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