A lot of Rangers fans probably yearn for the incredible atmosphere in the first leg meeting at the legendary Ibrox Stadium. Somehow they have to. The 3-1 win for Bayer 04 on 12 March was the last competitive match for the team in over four and a half months. The Scottish league fell victim to the coronavirus pandemic and was ended early with the Rangers 13 points behind arch-rivals Celtic having played one game less at the time. Rangers were declared runners-up. That means the team from the blue half of Glasgow will be in the second qualifying round of the Europa League next season.
Steven Gerrard's team started the new campaign in the Scottish Premiership at the weekend. In the first and only competitive match between the two meetings with the Werkself, the Glasgow team beat Aberdeen 1-0 with a goal from the former Liverpool player Ryan Kent. That means Rangers have continued the positive trend evident in friendlies before that. Four wins in four friendlies in July with the team not conceding a single goal. The two wins against the top French sides Olympique Lyon and OGC Nice (both 2-0) stand out. That's definitely why Gerrard sees the possibilities for his players at the BayArena in spite of the defeat in the first leg. "We still have a realistic chance," said the former world-class player. We'll go there and try to cause an upset. We know how difficult the task is but if you wear the Rangers badge then you never give up."
During the break due to the coronavirus pandemic, Rangers signed a familiar face from the Bundesliga: Leon Balogun, who played for Fortuna Düsseldorf, Mainz 05 and SV Darmstadt 98, moved from Wigan Athletic to Rangers in July. He was in the line-up for the opening fixture in Aberdeen – and received a positive reception straightaway. "He received a round of applause in the dressing room, which was fully deserved," revealed Gerrard after the impressive debut by the central defender. The now 32-year-old defender cannot play against Bayer 04 as the Europa League still counts as part of the 2019/20 season.
It's different with two other big new signings. The now 37-year-old experienced player Jermain Defoe (57 caps for England) plus Ianos Hagi, son of the Romanian playmaker legend Gheorge Hagi, were signed in the summer. As they were both previously on loan, and thereby in the Europa League squad, they can play at the BayArena on Thursday.
Right back Matt Polster, who came off the bench in the closing stages in the first leg, is no longer at the club having moved on to New England Revolution in the USA. In addition, reserve keeper Wes Foderingham plus defenders Andy Halliday and Jon Flanagan have also left the club. They were on the bench in the 3-1 defeat to Bayer 04. Rangers have been able to hold on to their key players including top striker Alfredo Morelos who has attracted attention across Europe.
The defence was outstanding in the pre-season and in the opening match against Aberdeen and Gerrard will be hoping that there are no members of the defence ruled out for the game against Bayer 04. For Thursday's game, there are only five players available for the back four positions. At full-back, there are no alternatives to Borna Barisic (left) and captain James Tavernier (right) after Polster and Flanagan left the squad and new signing Calvin Bassy (Leicester City U23s) – just like Balogun – is also unable to play as yet. On top of that, there is the serious injury to central defender Nikola Katic, who suffered a torn cruciate during the pre-season in July, plus the enforcer Glen Kamara who picked up a third yellow card of the competition in the first leg.
The team has already moved forward under Gerrard with qualifying for the Round of 16 in the Europa League being the biggest success on the European stage in nine years (that ended with being knocked out in the Round of 16 by PSV Eindhoven). Rangers – particularly in attack – have young players with potential such as Hagi, Kent and Morelos in their ranks. Be it through their performances or the money they might attract in a transfer, they could bring the club a bit closer to the glory of former days in the coming years.
Rangers face a difficult task at the BayArena. The Scots need to score at least three away goals to have a chance of reaching the quarter-finals. The challenge is huge and Bayer 04 are definitely the favourites but the Scots could be a surprise package after such a long break – given that Bayer 04 have not played a match for over a month. The question is: Who will make the better cold start?
New signing Miguel Gutiérrez has made a good start at Leverkusen and has promptly earned a nomination for Player of the Month in his first few weeks in the Bundesliga. He has scored one goal and provided three assists in four league games. The Spanish left-back has also brought some impressive stats with him to Bayer 04. Issue #56 of the Werkself magazine has taken a look at these figures. ‘Facts & Fun’ with Miguel Gutiérrez.
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With seven points, Mainz 05 are currently joint seventh, level on points with sixth-placed Bayer 04. In today’s head-to-head clash (kick-off: 15:30 CEST), the Werkself must be particularly wary of the clinical Mainz strike duo. For Leverkusen fans who have left it to the last minute, there are still a few tickets available from the matchday ticket office. Those following the Black and Reds from home, on the other hand, have a choice: RTL is broadcasting the match on free-to-air TV, and Werkself Radio is also offering the expert commentary of former Bayer 04 player Falko Götz. Today’s matchday news.
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Back from the international break: On Saturday 10 October (kick-off: 15:30 CEST), the Werkself are away to Mainz 05. Ahead of the clash at the MEWA ARENA against the side currently sixth in the table, head coach Carles Martínez spoke, amongst other things, about the team’s work during the extended international break. The Spaniard also commented, when asked, on a number of squad matters, including Ibrahim Maza.
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FSV Mainz 05 went into the international break on the back of an away win at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Currently sixth in the table, the Rheinhessen side – who have been impressive on the road – now aim to continue their good start to the Bundesliga campaign at home when they face the Werkself on Saturday, 10 October (kick-off: 15:30 CEST). In terms of squad selection, Urs Fischer once again has more options at his disposal. Up front, the Mainz coach is likely to continue relying on what is currently the league’s most successful strike partnership. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Thomas Eichin has been working for Bayer 04 for six years – as Director of Professional Teams since July 2023 – and has contributed to the successful development of our club in many areas. Today, Friday 9 October, Freiburg-born Eichin is celebrating his 60th birthday. We wish him a very happy birthday.
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