It is not only the final match of the year but also the last match in this competition for one of the two clubs: When Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayer 04 meet in the DFB Cup Round of 16 on Wednesday (kick-off 18.30 CET) one thing is certain. There will only be one winner! Borussia have the better record in the German domestic cup competition up to now: In the previous five Cup ties with the Werkself, Gladbach have progressed to the next round four times – twice on penalties and once after extra time. It is to be expected the two teams will be on equal terms going into this tie. The 5-1 win for Leverkusen two months ago at Borussia Park may not be a blueprint for Wednesday’s encounter although the heavy defeat on the their own turf is a subject for discussion. “All of our players remember it. We all want to win now to restore our honour,” said Thorgan Hazard, the in-form striker for the Foals.
Heiko Herrlich is also fully aware that Gladbach have a score to settle with their rivals down the Rhine. “There won’t be anybody at Borussia who would say we don’t stand a chance after the 5-1. Gladbach will definitely think they’re in with a chance. And you have to say we were lucky in the first half of the league game in October that we weren’t 2-0 or more down at the break. We were on fire in the second half but weren’t good in the first,” said the Bayer 04 head coach at the pre-match press conference at the Media Centre in the Bay Arena, broadcast live as usual on bayer04.de and Facebook. The Werkself coach maintained that match did show his team “that it is possible to overcome the hurdle at Borussia Park and win there. It’s an all-or-nothing match and you can’t share points in the Cup. You go through or go out and that’s what makes this competition so exciting.”
There will definitely be changes in the Werkself line-up. Skipper Lars Bender is almost certainly ruled out of the game at Mönchengladbach but there is a possibility that his brother Sven will be able to play. “It’s not looking good for Lars as his knee is too swollen and it wouldn’t make sense,” said Herrlich, “with Sven, we’ll have to see if he can stand the pain after he took another blow to the ribs at Hannover. One thing is clear: The health of the players comes first so we won’t take any risks.”
After a three-match ban in the Bundesliga, left back Wendell is back in the squad and Charles Aránguiz is an option after recovering from a torn calf. “Charly trained yesterday and I assume his calf will stand up to it. I hope he can be in our squad on Wednesday,” said the Bayer 04 boss.
Bayer 04 will have the support of 2,730 fans at Borussia Park on Wednesday night.
After Jens Nowotny was officially named a Bayer 04 honorary captain last weekend, the long-standing Werkself player is part of the Leverkusen delegation on the trophy tour to New York City next week from 11 to 14 September. In an interview with bayer04.de, the 50-year-old talked about his expectations ahead of the trip to the metropolis on the East Coast of the USA.
Show moreThe German Football League (DFL) has confirmed the dates and kick-off times for matchdays 6 to 12 of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season. Full details of the Bayer 04 fixtures.
Show moreMarkus Rehm, a long jumper at TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, won the gold medal for the fourth time in succession at the Paralympics on Wednesday.
Show moreThe fixture details for the second round of the DFB Pokal 2024/25 have been confirmed. The home tie for Bayer 04 against second division SV 07 Elversberg is on Tuesday, 29 October with the kick off at 18.00 CET (live on Sky). That was announced by the German Football Association (DFB) on Thursday.
Show more