Bayer Leverkusen face the not inconsiderable task of a fixture away to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League this week, needing a win to keep alive their hopes of progressing from Group D.
1) Leverkusen outplayed Juventus away
Hold fire on the “but” forming on your lips as you read that – there is obviously no denying Leverkusen’s 3-0 defeat in Turin at the start of October. However, Die Werkself’s all-round performance – especially in the first half – against the best team in Italy certainly deserves plenty of credit.
They had 51 per cent of possession away from home, managed 10 shots against one of the meanest defences in Europe, made more passes than Juve (665 to 564) and did so more accurately (88 to 86 per cent), while also covering more ground throughout the 90 minutes (73.01 miles to 71.58).
Bosz’s charges stuck to a possession-based game plan, playing their way out of the back with neat one-touch passes that their hosts had no response to initially. In fact, it was only because of an unforced individual error – just as in their game against Lokomotiv Moscow – that Leverkusen came unstuck.
We played boldly and there aren’t many teams who come here and play like that, said Jonathan Tah afterwards. Now we’ll look forward and take the positives from the game. A similarly courageous display in Madrid could well produce the result Leverkusen crave, especially as sharpened focus on needing to win should help eradicate costly mistakes at the back.
2) Volland is Germany’s most lethal attacker
Move over Timo Werner, Marco Reus and Serge Gnabry – Kevin Volland is the sharpest-shooting German around. The 27-year-old may not have found the target in Leverkusen’s 3-0 reverse at Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday, but he has still been involved in more goals than any of his compatriots in the 2019 calendar year.
Why is that significant? Well, if form is temporary and class permanent, Volland is very much a tailored-three-piece-suit kind of forward, having scored consistently for a long time now. He has had a direct hand in 21 Bundesliga goals this year (12 goals, nine assists), putting him well ahead of Werner (11/5), Reus (11/3) and Gnabry (8/6).
That kind of incision and ruthlessness in the final third is exactly what will be required against an Atletico side that has conceded just five times in nine La Liga assignments this season.
3) Sound the Alar-io bells!
Should Volland not be able to find a way through a notoriously stubborn Atleti rearguard, Leverkusen do have a very reliable Plan B. Step forward, Lucas Alario.
The Argentinian striker has one Bundesliga goal from three league starts so far this season, but showed his game-changing ability during the recent international break. With the Albiceleste 2-0 down to Germany in Dortmund, the 27-year-old stepped off the bench in the 62nd minute and almost single-handedly inspired a comeback to a 2-2 draw.
He ghosted between Niklas Süle and Robin Koch to head in a superb goal to give Argentina a lifeline just four minutes after entering the pitch, before his mazy dribble set up Lucas Ocampos to equalise. If he could do that for the away side on the international stage, who’s to say what he could produce at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium?
4) Can Atleti handle Bosz ball?
Around this time last year, Atletico crumpled under the impact of a young, attack-minded team able to play on the counter when they slumped to a 4-0 defeat against Borussia Dortmund.
There is arguably no better blueprint for success for Leverkusen, who can play in a similar manner. Dortmund were aggressive in the tackles that day, refusing to shirk any challenges and their quick, talented attackers simply proved too much to handle.
Leverkusen will need the likes of Julian Baumgartlinger and Tah to set the tone in the physical side of their game, while relying on Kai Havertz, Karim Bellarabi, Nadiem Amiri and Volland to do the damage with their pace and incision.
“Peter’s brand of football suits a lot of our players,” said Bayer sporting director Rudi Völler the arrival of the coach that took an inexperienced young Ajax side to the final of the 2017 UEFA Europa League. “They’re young, fast, good on the ball and naturally inclined to get forward. Peter’s shown what he can do with those qualities. And that’s the kind of football we want to build on.”
5) Saul better call for back-up
Midfield battles often decide matches and this meeting provides the prospect of an intriguing head-to-head between Saul Niguez and Havertz. Saul typically plays in a deep-lying central midfield position, intercepting, tackling and launching counter-attacks.
He did not face Havertz in Leverkusen’s last trip to Atletico, a 0-0 draw in March 2017, as the Bayer prodigy was given time off to concentrate on his school exams. Now, however, Havertz arrives fully focused on football and with a reputation as the finest young attacking midfielder in Europe.
The 20-year-old glides between the lines, popping up in awkward areas, while his deceptive pace and exquisite touch and technique have made him a full Germany international in recent months.
Havertz scored 17 Bundesliga goals last season and has made a promising start to this campaign too, with two Bundesliga goals and one assist. Can his elusive movement leave Saul calling for assistance?
