Hjulmand ahead of #B04VIL: ‘Play to win, that's our mentality’

"It's a really important game for us, we want to progress to the next round. That's our very clear goal," declared Kasper Hjulmand at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon. Even a draw against Villarreal could ultimately be enough for the Werkself to progress. Hjulmand commented: "Should it be necessary, we will of course have the scores from the other games on the bench in the final phase of the game. But we play to win, that's our mentality. That's how we'll go into tomorrow's game."

Vázquez: "we can achieve a lot together"

The Yellow Submarine are in a very good position in the La Liga in fourth place and within reach of third-placed Atlético Madrid. In the Champions League, on the other hand, Villarreal are one of the four teams already eliminated. "They are having a great season in La Liga. Their team and players are very strong. They will come here to cause us problems," said Lucas Vázquez who played against Villarreal a total of 19 times as a Real Madrid player.

The five-time Champions League winner believes his team are "very well prepared for tomorrow and for the coming weeks. We are very keen to win the next few games, which are very important for the club. We have a great team and can achieve a lot together if we continue to work hard." The 34-year-old wants to "set an example. I like that. At the same time, however, it is important that each individual makes their own contribution and gives their best."

Omlin in squad – Tapsoba return possible

Hjulmand and his coaching team's game plan for the match against Villarreal is to "be proactive and attack high up the pitch. Confidence and a good rhythm are very important for that. We had some of that against Bremen. Now we want to get the next win to take the next step forward."

Certainly missing on Wednesday at the BayArena are the injured Mark Flekken, Nathan Tella and Eliesse Ben Seghir. The latter is out with an ankle injury, as Bayer 04 announced on Tuesday. It remains to be seen if defender Edmond Tapsoba will return to the matchday squad against the Spaniards, according to Hjulmand.

One player who will definitely be in the squad, however, is new signing Jonas Omlin, as Hjulmand confirmed when asked. The Swiss shot-stopper moved from Borussia Mönchengladbach at the beginning of the week on loan until the end of the season. When asked about Omlin's statement in an interview with Werkself TV that he "wants to play games for Leverkusen", Hjulmand explained: "I think it would be a problem if he didn't want to play. (He laughs) That's the way it has to be." The Dane had this to say about the distribution of roles: "We have great faith in Janis (Blaswich, ed.), he has always trained very well and also had a very positive influence from the bench in the games when Mark (Flekken, ed.) played. And now, after Mark's long-term absence, we've got another goalkeeper who will be good for competition. Janis will play tomorrow, he's the number one right now. But anything is always possible - that's the way it is in every position. It's about performance, nothing else."

away tickets for home fans

The BayArena will be sold out for this crucial Champions League clash. The standing area in the away block will be completely filled with Bayer 04 fans for the first time.

Due to the fact the Spanish club have not taken up their full allocation and are only travelling with 60 fans, seats for home fans are still available in this area at short notice. Anyone who would still like to come can purchase tickets via the ticket exchange or from the remaining tickets from the away allocation HERE.