The 2-7 defeat to Paris St. Germain in the Champions League had really hurt, but Bayer 04 Leverkusen made amends immediately against Freiburg, leaving everyone satisfied after the final whistle.
They had “won confidently and deservedly,” said Jonas Hofmann, who is not registered for the Champions League, after the 2-0 win at DAZN, praising the overall performance of the Werkself, who “had very good control of the game and were very confident on the ball – especially in the second half.” After the “2-7 defeat” against PSG, the 33-year-old revealed that “in training, you could already see that the players were trying to shake it off quickly,” adding that what had happened could not be undone anyway: “The past is the past, you can’t change that.”
Nevertheless, the team showed “mental strength” against the Sport-Club, “implemented the instructions very well and shook off the 2-7 defeat.” Goalkeeper Mark Flekken was also satisfied. “We played a good, confident game and got the job done in the end,” said the Dutchman. “That was definitely the right response after the game against PSG. It couldn’t have gone much better.”
Praise also came from coach Kasper Hjulmand, who spoke of a “very successful” performance. “That was very important for us, we were very dominant and did very well,” said the Dane, who also criticized a lack of efficiency: “Overall, it was a good performance. We totally dominated the second half, but we need to score more goals.”
Basics as a recipe for success
Under Hjulmand, Bayer picked up 16 out of a possible 18 points and is now back in contention at the top of the table, just two points behind second-placed RB Leipzig. “We have become stable, we have fundamental things that we always want to have in our game,” said Hofmann, explaining the secret of the current success and emphasizing the importance of basics such as “very good counter-pressing,” which allows the team to win the ball back time and time again.
“If you demonstrate these basics, these virtues, then, combined with individual quality and quality as a team, you increase your chances of winning games,” said Hofmann, noting that this is exactly what makes the Werkself so strong at the moment. “That’s what makes us strong right now. That’s why we have 16 out of 18 points.”
Flekken, on the other hand, pointed out that “you can feel that we are becoming more and more attuned as a team.” However, he said this is a process that can only be driven forward “with time and playing minutes” and cannot be talked into existence. “It’s something you have to do.” The fact is: the process continues from week to week and from game to game. The next time will be this coming Wednesday in the cup match at SC Paderborn.
