After dropping more points in Kiel, of all teams, our kryptonite is now coming to visit. The mood at VfB before the match against Leverkusen could certainly be better.
It’s fair to say: things aren’t going well for VfB at the moment. And even though it’s still better than in many of the past seasons, in the context of the current high-flying form, this already feels like a full-blown crisis. Just one win in the last seven league games, painful home defeats to Gladbach, Wolfsburg, and Munich, and frustrating draws against relegation candidates like Hoffenheim and Kiel. Kiel, in particular, seems to be gnawing at not just us fans—who had hoped for some relief from the tough matchweeks featuring opponents like Munich, Leverkusen, and Frankfurt—but also within the club itself.
In Kiel, Sebastian Hoeneß made a halftime substitution for the first time in a long while, and not just one but two key figures from last season’s runners-up squad: Chris Führich and Deniz Undav. Reports suggest that both the locker room talk and the training speech on Sunday were far from pleasant. And as a fan, it’s genuinely hard to understand why the team can’t match the opposition’s intensity with their own quality and show the necessary effort to tilt the game in their favor.
I’m currently reading Thomas Hitzlsperger’s book Mutproben, which I got for my birthday, and he touches on how quickly footballers can be abandoned by fans—especially anonymously on social media. We’re still far from that point, though some recent comments directed at Deniz Undav have come close. Criticizing a well-paid and expensive key player, whom the coach decided to bench at halftime rather than trust to turn the game around, is certainly fair. At the same time, Sebastian Hoeneß was absolutely right in his pre-match press conference against Leverkusen to put the entire team on notice: “We need to push ourselves to the limit, we need to go beyond.”
I’m curious to see whether the coach’s internal response or the sheer disappointment over the Kiel result has sharpened the team’s focus again—though I’ve had that hope several times recently and been let down each time.
Squad Situation
At least this time, personnel issues aren’t a major concern. Al-Dakhil, Chabot, and Jeltsch all return to the squad as center-backs. Daxo Zagadou and Luca Raimund remain long-term absentees, while Anrie Chase and Niko Nartey are (again) injured. Additionally, Leo Stergiou is suspended for this and the next match due to his red card.
Possible Lineup
Chabot is a guaranteed starter, as is Mittelstädt. Al-Dakhil’s pace makes him a crucial stopper against Leverkusen’s attack, though I’m still worried about the right side of defense. Vagnoman has been out of form and struggled massively against Paris’ quick attackers—not to equate Leverkusen directly with that level. Perhaps Jeltsch could be deployed out wide, as he showed against Bayern that he’s fearless against big names, though I’m not sure if he can actually play that position.
Up front, I expect Deniz Undav to start on the bench, alongside Chris Führich, who also lost his spot in the national team squad for the upcoming international break. Since VfB wants to make Leverkusen feel their Champions League elimination from Tuesday right from the start, I’d field three players alongside ever-present Nick Woltemade who were in strong form in Kiel: goalscorers Jamie Leweling and Ermedin Demirović, as well as returning forward El Bilal.
Statistics
Unlike VfB, Leverkusen has been able to maintain the level of their title-winning season, though they didn’t have to replace three key players. Currently sitting in second place, they can almost kiss their title hopes goodbye—just like the Champions League, from which they were eliminated this week. They’ve lost three consecutive competitive matches without scoring and also went goalless in two February games (0–0 against Wolfsburg and Munich).
Despite that, they still rank near the top in offensive stats, just behind Bayern and ahead of VfB. Patrik Schick and the injured Florian Wirtz have scored a combined 25 goals, with Wirtz also providing 12 assists. Leverkusen also dominates the league in possession, passing accuracy, and even running statistics. One thing is clear: if you let Bayer settle into their rhythm, things could get ugly.
Conclusion
And that’s exactly what VfB must prevent at all costs. Against Bayern, they managed to do that—at least for a while in their home match. Just like in that game, the team must work together defensively with full commitment to keep their own goal secure and act smartly in front of the opponent’s goal. But the most important thing is the mindset: unlike last season, nothing will come easily this time, and a 1–0 lead should not be a reason to relax but rather a motivation to keep pushing.
After the setback in Kiel, I expect—regardless of the final result—a clear step forward, one that will hopefully be sustainable.
Picture: © Adam Pretty/Getty Images