Back
2.02.2024Werkself-TV

Alonso ahead of #SVDB04: ‘Great respect for the coach and the spirit of the team’

The league leaders entertain the team bottom of the table: SV Darmstadt 98 face Bayer 04 at the BayArena on Saturday 3 February (kick-off: 15.30 CET/live on Sky and on Werkself Radio) on Bundesliga Matchday 20. Ahead of the game, head coach Xabi Alonso sounded a warning about the battling approach of the newly promoted team currently involved in a relegation battle.

Display videos

Yes, I'd like to see videos dispalyed.

"The position in the table is irrelevant to us. Anything is possible in football," said Alonso at the start of the pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon. The Spaniard sees Darmstadt as a team who "play with passion, fighting spirit and good motivation." Alonso will prepare his team for an intense encounter: "We have to control this emotional part of the game well. I've played at that stadium. There's always a good atmosphere there. Darmstadt are currently fighting very hard to avoid relegation. I have great respect for the coach and the spirit of the team."

Alonso: "great to have more options again"

The Werkself, who will complete the final pre-match training session on Friday afternoon, will then set off for Darmstadt. For the match against the Lilies, Alonso will again be able to call on Edmond Tapsoba and Amine Adli who have returned from the Africa Cup of Nations. Both went out of AFCON this week at the Round of 16 stage and they were back in Leverkusen on Thursday. The Spaniard refused to say whether the two Werkself players would feature against Darmstadt: "They've come back in good shape and are fit. They know situations like this. They will train with us again for the first time. For us it's really great to have more options again."

Alonso also kept his cards close to his chest with regard to other players who might find a place in the starting line-up. The head coach said of the winter signing Borja Iglesias: "He is fit and a good player with brilliant motivation. That's very important to us." On Granit Xhaka , who is currently on four yellow cards, Alonso said: “We'll see if he plays. We definitely have enough players to make that decision. Everybody's well prepared."

Alonso on Palacios: "want to take it at right pace"

Alonso will have to manage without Odilon Kossounou, who is still at AFCON, plus the injured players Victor Boniface, Arthur and Exequiel Palacios. In response to a question about the fitness of the Argentinian World Cup winner, Alonso said: "He's doing better. We are hoping for a quick recovery but we want to take it at the right pace and not be too hasty. We will watch his progress day by day. We remain positive."

1,700 Bayer 04 fans will support the Werkself in Darmstadt. The allocation has been sold out. There will be no away ticket office at the game.

Related News

Zu wenig Torgefahr: Frauen verlieren Top-Spiel in Bremen | 13. Spieltag
Werkself-TV - 12.12.2025

Women: TV-highlights of 0-1 loss at Werder Bremen

Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 0-1 loss at Werder Bremen on the 13th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.

Show more
Cornelia Kramer und Kristin Kögel
Women - 11.12.2025

Women in final Hinrunde game at Werder Bremen

The penultimate Bundesliga matchday of the calendar year marks the end of an eventful first half of the season for the Bayer 04 Women. After seven wins, one draw and four defeats from the first twelve games of the season, coach Roberto Pätzold's team can go above Werder Bremen in the table with a win on Friday, 12 December (kick-off: 18:30 CET).

Show more
Gegner-Check
eSports - 11.12.2025

#B04eSports: Match between the two Showdown winners opens the third event

The third showdown in the VBL Club Championship 2025/26 kicks off for the Leverkusen eSports team this Thursday, 11 December (live on the B04eSports Twitch channel from 19:00 CET). In the online preliminary round, the Black and Red will once again take on six previously drawn opponents for a place in the Top 16 and the associated entry into the offline knockout round, which will take place at this third showdown on 19 December in Cologne. Showdown One winners Bayer 04 will face FC St. Pauli, who won the second showdown last month, among others. The lowdown on first three opponents in this online preliminary round.

Show more
Ansetzung DFB-Pokal-Viertelfinale
DFB-Pokal - 11.12.2025

DFB Pokal 2025/26: Quarter-final against FC St. Pauli on 3 February

The exact dates for the quarter-finals of the 2025/26 DFB Pokal have been finalised. Accordingly, Bayer 04's home tie against Bundesliga rivals FC St. Pauli will be played on Tuesday, 3 February 2026, with the kick-off at 20:45 CET. This was announced by the German Football Association (DFB) today (Thursday).

Show more