Our next opponents: Ferencváros with lots of new faces

Position

Ferencváros are undisputed league leaders in Hungary. With a 14-point lead over second placed Kecskemeti TE, the Green and Whites are on course for their 34th league title. It would also be their fifth in succession. The club have not lost in the league for 13 games although they have only won one of their last four matches (three draws). The team under Russian coach Stanislav Cherchesov could only manage a 1-1 draw last weekend against seventh-placed Mezökövesd-Zsory SE. After taking an early lead through striker Adama Traoré, the visitors levelled in the first half.

In the domestic cup competition, titleholders Ferencváros went out in a complete surprise in October 2022. They lost 3-2 after extra time in the Round of 16 away to third division KSE Ivancsa. The Hungarian side lost to Azerbaijani team Qarabag FK in the qualifying round for the Champions League – with a 1-1 draw away and a 3-1 defeat at home.

Ferencváros have been much more successful in the Europa League. They finished top of their group ahead of AS. Monaco, Bayer 04's opponents in the Round of 16, Red Star Belgrade and Trabzonspor. The Werkself discovered how hard it is to play against the Hungarians in the Europa League last season, both encounters in the group stage were very tight. Bayer 04 won the home leg 2-1 and lost 1-0 in Budapest. That was the only defeat for the Werkself in the group stage. FC Augsburg recently lost to the Hungarian record champions at their winter training camp in Benidorm in a 2-0 defeat thanks to a brace from Xavier Mercier.

Personnel

When the Werkself played Ferencváros in the group stage in 2021/2022 their coach was Peter Stöger. After just six months in post, the Austrian was replaced by Stanislav Cherchesov just before Christmas in 2021. The former Russia goalkeeper (50 international caps), who played in goal for Dynamo Dresden for two years between 1993 and 1995, was the Russia national coach for five years before that. He led them to the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup in their own country. The 59-year-old, who speaks almost perfect German, won the league and cup with Ferencváros last year.

There have been a number of changes to his squad over the last nine months. A lot of players left the club, including two forwards known in the Bundesliga in Marko Marin (Borussia Mönchengladbach and SV Werder Bremen) and Robert Mak (FC Nürnberg). Marin ended his career and is currently working as head scout at Red Star Belgrade. Mak joined FC Sydney in Australia. Central defender Miha Blazic (now at Angers SCO), central midfielder Stjepan Loncar (KV Kortrijk) and winger Oleksandr Zubkov (Shakhtar Donetsk ), who was in the starting line-up in the last meeting with the Werkself, are no longer on board. Ferencváros will particularly miss midfielder Aissa Laidouni. The 26-year-old Tunisian, who scored the only goal of the game against the Werkself in December 2021, stood out at the World Cup in Qatar and he was signed by Union Berlin at the end of January this year.

New to the team is right winger Adama Traoré, the Mali international is the best scorer and provider for the Green and Whites with eleven goals this season (plus four assists), followed by centre forward Ryan Mmaee (eleven goals, three assists). The most successful provider is the Brazilian Marquinhos with seven assists. Amongst the key players in the Cherchesov team are Ryan Mmaee's elder brother Samy, who normally plays alongside the Dutchman Mats Knoester in central defence, plus the midfielders Balint Vecsei and Kristoffer Zachariassen and striker Tokmac Choi Nguen. Captain and goalkeeper Denes Dibusz is a leading player in the team. The club announced the signing of the Chilean left winger Angelo Sagal on Monday of this week.

Performers

Ferencváros have almost no competition in the league in Hungary. The record to date this term is 50 points, with 46 goals scored and 17 conceded. That means the club from the capital Budapest have not only scored the most goals by some distance but also conceded the least. The Hungary goalkeeper Denes Dibusz is considered to be one of the best shot-stoppers in the Europa League. The Green and Whites also have a lot of quality up front. New signing Adama Traoré mostly plays down the left flank with the Norwegian Zachariassen on the right wing. The Morocco international Ryan Mmaee has recently played up top. Ferencváros are particularly strong at home at the Groupama Arena. They have not lost a game in the group stage of the Europa League in Budapest (two wins, one draw). And they are also unbeaten in the league on their own turf this season (eight wins, three draws).

Problems

Cherchesov has lost an absolute leader and enforcer in midfield with the departure of Aissa Laidouni. It remains to be seen if Ferencváros can fill this central position in midfield with equal quality. The Tunisian has already established a regular berth at Union Berlin. With all the dominance in their own country, the big Hungarian club have yet to impress at the highest level in European competition. Qualification for the group stage of the Champions League in 2020/21 was a big achievement. However, Ferencváros finished bottom of the group behind Barcelona, Juventus and Dynamo Kyiv without a win.

Prediction

The Werkself have already experienced how tough the Hungarians are as opponents in the Europa League in 2021/22. And the capital club have also impressed in the current competition. "Ferencváros finished top of the group ahead of Monaco. That says something as we've already seen how strong Monaco are," warned Simon Rolfes, sporting managing director at Bayer 04, following the Round of 16 draw. Nevertheless, the Werkself are very confident and are looking to secure a good result in the first leg at the BayArena. That will be necessary given the Green and Whites’ strength at home. But the job is definitely doable.