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Barcelona may have lost to Osasuna, but have little to fear in crisis-stricken Leverkusen
The Catalans have not been in the best form as of late, but their troubles pale in comparison to those at B04, who are short of personnel, form, and confidence in their coach
14 Feb 2012 09:48:00
Joern Pollex
COMMENT
By Clark Whitney | German Football Editor
Having finished runners-up in Group E of the Champions League, the round of 16 draw was almost sure to be a very tough one for Bayer Leverkusen. But when they were pitted against Barcelona on December 16, it was the equivalent of a death sentence for the German side. And to this day, that has not changed.
Barcelona fans will be concerned by their club’s form following Saturday’s 3-2 loss away to Osasuna. But while Leverkusen have the initial advantage of playing at home, the Bundesliga club stand little chance.
Trouble has been brewing all season, and it has now boiled over. Coach Robin Dutt has never been popular among the players, and the coach along with CEO Wolfgang Holzhauser have lately done everything possible to shift blame elsewhere.
Most recently, Michael Ballack has become the scapegoat, with Holzhauser in particular blasting the veteran for not delivering his best performances after moving to the BayArena in 2010. The former Germany international, whose experience was vital in November’s 2-1 win over Chelsea, has been benched for the last three games, and may have already played his final Bundesliga match. Without his calming influence on Tuesday, things could get ugly very fast for Leverkusen.
To make matters worse, Bayer have a slew of injury problems to worry about. Arguably their best attacking player of the group stage, Sidney Sam, will likely miss both legs of the tie due to a muscular tear. Fellow winger Tranquillo Barnetta has a similar prognosis, and while Renato Augusto is finally back in action, the Brazilian hasn’t played regular football in several months. Striker Eren Derdiyok, meanwhile, is also out after he sustained a serious gash on his foot by stepping on a shard of broken glass. And even if Dutt were to make amends with Ballack before Tuesday's match, the player will be unavailable due to a calf injury.
The personnel absences and unrest in the club has already taken its toll on Leverkusen, who are 10 points behind fourth place in the Bundesliga and are all but out of the race for a return to the Champions League next season. Since the end of the group stage, B04 have won just one of their six Bundesliga fixtures. And critically, their defence is in disarray: during the same span, Leverkusen have kept just one clean sheet, conceding nine goals in the process. It is almost impossible to beat Barcelona in a high-scoring game, and the most important factor is what Dutt’s side are sorely lacking: a firm defence.
Anything can happen over the course of 90 minutes, and to their benefit, Leverkusen’s best player is 19-year-old goalkeeper Bernd Leno. But as witnessed in last year’s Champions League semi-final between Schalke and Manchester United, even a world class shot-stopper like Manuel Neuer is not enough to overcome a massive gap in quality.
Barcelona may be on a less than stellar run of form, but they have time and again proven their class, and a win is entirely within their grasp. Heading into the match, Leverkusen will need a near-miracle to come out with a positive result.
Follow Clark Whitney on
By Clark Whitney | German Football Editor
Having finished runners-up in Group E of the Champions League, the round of 16 draw was almost sure to be a very tough one for Bayer Leverkusen. But when they were pitted against Barcelona on December 16, it was the equivalent of a death sentence for the German side. And to this day, that has not changed.
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Barcelona fans will be concerned by their club’s form following Saturday’s 3-2 loss away to Osasuna. But while Leverkusen have the initial advantage of playing at home, the Bundesliga club stand little chance.
Trouble has been brewing all season, and it has now boiled over. Coach Robin Dutt has never been popular among the players, and the coach along with CEO Wolfgang Holzhauser have lately done everything possible to shift blame elsewhere.
| LEVERKUSEN'S BUNDESLIGA FORM |
|||
 |
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| DATE Feb 11 Feb 4 Jan 28 Jan 22 Dec 17 Dec 10 |
OPPONENT Dortmund (A) Stuttgart (H) Bremen (A) Mainz (H) Nurnberg (H) Hannover (A) |
RESULT L 0-1 D 2-2 D 1-1 W 3-2 L 0-3 D 0-0 |
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To make matters worse, Bayer have a slew of injury problems to worry about. Arguably their best attacking player of the group stage, Sidney Sam, will likely miss both legs of the tie due to a muscular tear. Fellow winger Tranquillo Barnetta has a similar prognosis, and while Renato Augusto is finally back in action, the Brazilian hasn’t played regular football in several months. Striker Eren Derdiyok, meanwhile, is also out after he sustained a serious gash on his foot by stepping on a shard of broken glass. And even if Dutt were to make amends with Ballack before Tuesday's match, the player will be unavailable due to a calf injury.
The personnel absences and unrest in the club has already taken its toll on Leverkusen, who are 10 points behind fourth place in the Bundesliga and are all but out of the race for a return to the Champions League next season. Since the end of the group stage, B04 have won just one of their six Bundesliga fixtures. And critically, their defence is in disarray: during the same span, Leverkusen have kept just one clean sheet, conceding nine goals in the process. It is almost impossible to beat Barcelona in a high-scoring game, and the most important factor is what Dutt’s side are sorely lacking: a firm defence.
Anything can happen over the course of 90 minutes, and to their benefit, Leverkusen’s best player is 19-year-old goalkeeper Bernd Leno. But as witnessed in last year’s Champions League semi-final between Schalke and Manchester United, even a world class shot-stopper like Manuel Neuer is not enough to overcome a massive gap in quality.
Barcelona may be on a less than stellar run of form, but they have time and again proven their class, and a win is entirely within their grasp. Heading into the match, Leverkusen will need a near-miracle to come out with a positive result.
Follow Clark Whitney on
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| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
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| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
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