Werkself review #S04B04: Remain on course

SUMMARY: OPPONENTS TAKEN APART IN SECOND HALF

The Royal Blues were only on terms with the Werkself for the first 15 minutes with the visitors increasingly taking control after that. While Schalke mainly had to thank Fährmann before half-time that chances for Amine Adli and Jeremie Frimpong did not lead to goals, Bayer 04 took their opponents part in the second half. An outstanding pass from Edmond Tapsoba and the ensuing cross from Moussa Diaby led to a deserved lead with the eighth goal of the season for Frimpong (50'), Florian Wirtz provided an impressive demonstration of his football ability on the hour mark: A one-two with Adli saw Wirtz beat two Schalke players in the tightest of spaces before slipping the ball past Fährmann to make it 2-0 (61'). After that, the visitors missed the chance to extend their lead over Schalke with chances from Diaby before Sardar Azmoun headed home the third goal in added time. The match was overshadowed in the closing stages due to a tragic fatality in the South Stand: A spectator collapsed and could not be revived despite the efforts by an emergency doctor. HERE is the match report.

REACTION: SOLID DEFENCE AS BASIS

The death of the Schalke fan was a great shock for Schalke and Leverkusen alike. While Xabi Alonso expressed sympathy on behalf of Bayer 04 to the family of the deceased at the post-match press conference, Schalke coach Thomas Reis said: "There are more important things than a defeat." In assessing the action on the pitch, the Werkself protagonists were very satisfied. "Everybody worked well from front to back even though it was difficult for us at the start," said Florian Wirtz. Robert Andrich took a similar view: "We didn't find it easy to get into the game and Schalke are tricky opponents in the way they played. In the end we could have scored four or five goals." Xabi Alonso was very pleased with the performance of his players. "It was tough for us in the first 45 minutes but we defended well and had very good mentality on the pitch. The first goal was very important for confidence. That's exactly how we have to carry on," said the Werkself head coach.

PERSONNEL: WIRTZ AND TAPSOBA STAND OUT

The brilliant goal at 2-0 by Florian Wirtz provides a lot to talk about. The Germany international was not only voted Man of the Match by a big margin by the Bayer 04 fans, the 19-year-old provided a prompt response with his excellent performance to being substituted early on in the international against Belgium during the week. "It's always best to score a goal straight after that," said Simon Rolfes, sporting managing director at Bayer 04. And Xabi Alonso was also full of praise: "Flo did well, he worked well for the team and scored a goal. He has to be hungry to help the team and he was." But Wirtz was not the only one to stand out. The Black and Reds were impressive as a group and had canny defenders in Edmond Tapsoba and Jonathan Tah with the former also demonstrating his strengths in build-up play and passing.

STATS: AZMOUN SETS LANDMARK

The fact the Leverkusen victory at Schalke was absolutely deserved is also demonstrated by the stats. The Werkself had the upper hand statistically in all areas with more shots on goal (18 to 12), in possession and challenges were slightly ahead (both with 42 to 48%) and also with a better pass completion rate (76% compared with 72% for Schalke). Sardar Azmoun scored a special goal: The powerful header from the Iranian to make it 3-0 was the 200th goal by a Bayer 04 substitute in the Bundesliga.

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY: "SHORT SHRIFT"

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung attributes the Leverkusen victory to "higher individual quality" and notes: "The team is aiming for greater heights." The Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger identified: "The Rhinelanders are back in the race for European qualification after four wins in succession. A victory against Frankfurt on Easter weekend could see the Werkself overtake Eintracht to move into sixth place." Edmond Tapsoba was awarded top marks in the individual ratings: "It felt like he won all the challenges and was a playmaker on the quiet when he set up the second goal with a brilliant pass on 50 minutes. He provided several more passes that could have all led to goals." The Express headline reads: "Wirtz rounds off his great display." The Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung reports: "Bayer made short shrift in the second half and all the attacking moves from their Wirtz’s, Frimpongs, Diabys and Adlis reveals their exciting potential."

OUTLOOK: CLASH FOR SIXTH PLACE

The prospect is compelling: After Bayer 04 moved up to seventh place in the table with the victory at Schalke, the Werkself have the chance to take the sixth spot in the next match. Eintracht Frankfurt are currently three points ahead and last season's Europa League winners visit the BayArena on Saturday 8 April (kick-off: 15.30 CEST). While Leverkusen have a whole week to prepare for this match, Eintracht play Union Berlin on Tuesday in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup.