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“We’ve got an important game coming up on Sunday. We need to recover today and then prepare well tomorrow. Frankfurt are one of the division’s top teams. They play with a lot of tempo and high energy, have a good coach and strong players,” Alonso said. The Spaniard also spoke about Mario Götze, who he played with at Bayern Munich: “Mario is a very special player. I remember how he would always make the right decision in tight spaces. I enjoyed playing with him. Now he’s matured and grown up more.”
What isn’t clear is which Eintracht will show up at the BayArena on Sunday. They were eliminated from the DFB-Pokal at the start of December by third-tier Saarbrücken but have since thrashed Bayern 5-1 in the Bundesliga. Then during the week, the Eagles were beaten 2-0 at Aberdeen in the UEFA Europa Conference League despite a dominant display. However, Alonso is expecting the “Bayern version” this weekend. The 42-year-old stressed that “we don’t compare ourselves with other teams. It’s not important how Frankfurt played against Aberdeen or Bayern. We focus on ourselves.”
After a little over a year at the Bayer 04 helm, Alonso was asked with the winter break coming for a summary of his time so far in Germany. “My family and I feel very good here in Germany. That’s very important, gives me the stability to focus on my work as best as possible,” the coach stated. Summing up the season so far, he added: “Being top over the winter break would obviously be good, but it doesn’t mean anything. Although, our current run is special. The challenge now is to keep going and maintain this current mentality and consistency.”
When asked about the possibility of an investor getting involved with the DFL, Alonso said: “The Bundesliga has great resonance around the world. For example, we don’t just have Bayer 04 fans in Germany but also in Spain, Argentina or Japan. In my opinion, we should maintain football’s traditions, but we also need perspective and need to continue to develop because we are in competition with the other major European leagues. The atmosphere and support from fans in Germany is special. We shouldn’t be fearful but positive and look ahead.”
There are set to be 30,210 fans inside the BayArena cheering on the Werkself for the penultimate fixture of 2023. The stadium is once again sold out in the Bundesliga.
Today sees Bayer 04 go head-to-head with their next direct rivals in the race for Champions League qualification (kick-off 15:30 CEST). Opponents Stuttgart are currently fifth in the table, level on points with the Werkself but one place below them due to a three-goal inferior goal difference. The Black and Reds' record at Bad Cannstatt tells a clearer story: they've not lost at VfB for over 16 years. One important factor in securing what would be three crucial points away from home is Leverkusen's strength on the counter-attack. Whilst Stuttgart are also extremely dangerous going forward, they will be without their captain. Today’s matchday news.
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Another showdown in the race for the Champions League places takes place in Swabia: on Saturday 9 May (kick-off 15:30 CEST), the Werkself visit VfB Stuttgart, who are only behind on goal difference. In his pre-match press conference, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about confidence, excitement and mentality.
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Reinforcement in attack: Bayer 04 Leverkusen have secured the transfer of striker Maja Sternad from Bundesliga rivals SV Werder Bremen. The 22-year-old has signed a contract until 30 June 2028.
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It's a thrilling situation: as the season draws to a close, Stuttgart and Bayer 04 are heading into the home stretch almost neck and neck. After 32 games, with 17 wins, seven draws and eight defeats each, both teams are on 58 points. Even in terms of goals scored, VfB and the Werkself are level on 66. The Black and Reds have conceded just three fewer goals (43) than their rivals (46), which is why they sit one place behind fourth-placed Leverkusen. This Saturday, 9 May (kick-off: 15.30 CEST), the two teams go head to head at the MHP Arena in Stuttgart. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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