In terms of results, Bayer 04 is in a slump ahead of the Europa League match against Betis Sevilla. But Gerardo Seoane doesn’t want to talk about a crisis. Because a better result would have been easily possible for his team in at least three of the five winless games.
The euphoria has faded. Five winless games for the Werkself can also be seen in the spectator interest. For example, the club expects only 14,000 fans on Thursday in the “final” match for the group win in the Europa League against the traditional Spanish club Betis Sevilla.A week ago, Bayer had played in the DFB Cup itself against second division side KSC in front of 13,000 spectators. On Saturday against VfL Wolfsburg, there were 20,000, who came to the Bay-Arena
Reasons for the lack of interest exist, of course. The game against Betis, for example, is the fourth home game in 19 days since the 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich. Since then, all three games have been lost in front of a home crowd. These disappointments, as well as the one in the derby in Cologne, where Bayer only played 2-2 after leading 2-0, have obviously left their mark on the supporters after a disastrous first half of the year.
There are reasons for the lack of interest, of course. The game against Betis, for example, is the fourth home game in 19 days since the 1:5 defeat against Bayern Munich Since then, all three games have been lost in front of a home crowd. These disappointments, as well as the one in the derby in Cologne, where Bayer only played 2-2 after leading 2-0, have obviously left their mark on the supporters after a disastrous first half of the year.
No bankruptcies
Whether the current sporting crisis can really be equated with that of the previous season, when Bayer plummeted from first place to sixth place after a 1-2 defeat by Bayern on matchday 13, is certainly open to doubt. For one thing, the negative run has been too short so far. And for another, the performances in the 1.2 against KSC, in the 1:1 in Sevilla or just in the 2:2 in Cologne were not declarations of bankruptcy, quite different from the performances in the spring.
No bankruptcy declarations
Whether the current sporting crisis can really be equated with that of the previous season, when Bayer plummeted from first place to sixth after a 1-2 defeat by Bayern on matchday 13, is certainly open to doubt. For one thing, the negative run has been too short so far. And for another, the performances in the 1.2 against KSC, the 1:1 in Sevilla or the 2:2 in Cologne were not declarations of bankruptcy, quite different from the performances in the spring.
The coach Gerardo Seoane, who has been working in Leverkusen since the summer, uses this argumentation with justification when he says: “We haven’t won five times in the last two or three weeks, but there is a 1-1 in Sevilla with a good performance. There’s a game in Cologne after which we’re annoyed that we don’t finish it off. Then you wouldn’t speak of a crisis.” Now, however, this is happening externally at least. And the Werkself is now under pressure, must not lose against Betis and certainly not on Sunday at Hertha BSC, so that the pressure does not rise even further.
Seven missing against Sevilla
There may be seven potential starting eleven players missing from this venture on Thursday. After Charles Aranguiz, Julian Baumgartlinger, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Mitchel Bakker, Karim Bellarabi and Patrik Schick Lucas Alario is also at risk of being absent The centre-forward continues to be plagued by muscular problems in his calf. According to Seoane, his use against the Spaniards is “questionable”.
However, the Swiss does not want to cast doubt on the quality of his team, even if he points to the bad luck with the injured. “We know where we stand,” he says confidently, “we know what our strengths are.” But these should now be reflected in the results again, so that the “crisis” does not become socially acceptable at Bayer as well.
