Roger Schmidt will be demanding focus from his Bayer Leverkusen players as they prepare to welcome SC Freiburg on Saturday. Momentum is firmly with the home side after their midweek Champions League success, but they must turn their attention to playing catch up in the Bundesliga.
"That was good for us, especically after the two or three weeks we've had"
- Lars Bender
Leverkusen were superb as they masterminded a 1-0 victory over Atlético Madrid on Wednesday - taking a slender lead into the return fixture at the Vicente Calderón - but that result will already be largely forgotten about by Schmidt and his players, as they look to focus on getting back into position in the Bundesliga table. Lars Bender believes the win will do just that. "That was good for us, especially after the two or three weeks we've had which were not so positive,'' he said. "A game like that gives you self-confidence and I hope that will also give us a lift for the upcoming challenges we have, starting against Freiburg.''
Leverkusen have won just two of their last eight Bundesliga matches and as a result have slipped to sixth in the table, two points adrift of Schalke in the last of the coveted Champions League places. Schmidt knows his side need to get back on track, and their win against the Spanish champions on Wednesday might just be the boost Leverkusen need.
"It may not be bad that Leverkusen had an important Champions League game midweek"
- Felix Klaus
For Christian Streich and Frieburg, however, the hope will be that Leverkusen's vital midweek fixture might just slow the hosts down and leave them laboured. "It may not be such a bad thing for us that Leverkusen had an important game in the Champions League in midweek,'' said midfielder Felix Klaus on his club's website. "Although I'm sure the tactics they chose against Atletico will be different to the ones they employ against us." Klaus insisted, however, that Freiburg cannot just rely on circumstances going their way: "They have some really good individual players who can do something at any time. If we don't all give 100 per cent then it's not going to be enough.''
Freiburg will be hoping for similar performances to those against Eintracht Frankfurt and Hertha Berlin, as well as the one in their draw with Hoffenheim last week, as they look to lift themselves out of the relegation places in the Bundesliga table. Freiburg have a midweek game against 1. FC Köln in the cup, but for now their priority must be trying to get something as they travel to Leverkusen on Saturday.