Yes, I'd like to see videos dispalyed.
"It's a match against a big team in the history of football. AC Milan are a top side with a lot of individual quality. They have dangerous players who work well together on the pitch. Therefore, we will need to produce our best performance levels and play with high concentration as usual," said Xabi Alonso at the press conference on Monday afternoon..
Defender Jonathan Tah said full of anticipation for the game: "Games in the Champions League are always a challenge. We will be tested at the highest level – and that's exactly what we want."
While the Werkself started the 2024/25 Champions League campaign with a 4-0 victory, the Rossoneri lost 3-1 at home to Liverpool. AC Milan had a mediocre start in the league with two draws and a defeat. That has since been followed by three league wins in succession including the derby against champions Inter Milan (2-1) and a 3-0 victory against Lecce last Friday.
In response to a question of his assessment of AC Milan, Alonso said: "We expect high game intelligence. They are prepared to defend deep but they can also dominate possession. We have to be prepared for any situation." Tah added: "Italian sides are a difficult opponent for many teams. They have a particular style of play and defend very well. We will need to be very patient."
The match against AC Milan is the first home game in the Champions League for the Werkself in two years following the game for the Black and Reds against Club Brugge. Asked about Bayer 04’s progress since then, Tah said: "A lot has happened. We have undergone an incredible development as a club and the coach has had a big influence on that. We'll never say that we are completely happy. We will always keep working and try to improve from game to game."
Alonso revelled in memories for a moment. As a player with Liverpool, the Spaniard secured his first Champions League title against AC Milan in one of the most memorable finals in the tournament. Liverpool came back from 3-0 down with Alonso equalising by converting a saved penalty to put the Reds through to a penalty shoot-out, which they went on to win. Alonso said about the magical evening against AC Milan: "It was one of the most important games in my career and an incredible night. It's a great memory but the focus for us is on the here and now."
Alonso again has a full squad to choose from tomorrow. Other good news: 30,210 fans will watch the match at the stadium tomorrow - the BayArena is sold out. 2,000 AC Milan fans are expected to follow their team to Leverkusen.
The game will be broadcast live on DAZN. In addition, Werkself Radio will also cover the match as usual.
Bosnia U19 international Kerim Alajbegovic is moving from Bayer 04 Leverkusen's youth set-up to Red Bull Salzburg. The talented attacking midfielder has signed a long-term contract with the Austrian club. At the same time, the works club secured a buy-back option for the 17-year-old, who was one of the mainstays of the Leverkusen U19s.
Show moreThe Werkself are away to Premier League club Chelsea in the final pre-season friendly. The game against the current holders of the UEFA Conference League is on Friday, 8 August at Stamford Bridge with the kick-off at 20:00 CEST. Read on for information on ticket sales.
Show moreThe Werkself are away to Dutch top-flight club Fortuna Sittard in the third pre-season friendly. The match is on Friday, 1 August at the Fortuna Sittard stadium with the kick-off at 19:00 CEST. Read on for information on ticket sales.
Show moreThe Werkself are away to VfL Bochum in the second pre-season friendly. The match is on Sunday, 27 July at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion with the kick-off at 18:00 CEST. Read on for the latest information on ticket sales.
Show more