Bayer 04 Leverkusen faces a major challenge on Tuesday when they travel to Manchester City. Unexpectedly, even the journey there proved to be an obstacle.
Everything had actually been carefully planned: Bayer’s schedule for the trip to Manchester was set, including a press conference on Monday evening. But a series of mishaps led to an almost grotesque chain of unfortunate circumstances. The Bayer entourage took off for England almost an hour and a half late, where further delays occurred.
First there were problems with the luggage. Then the plane, which was supposed to be ready for takeoff, had to return from the runway to the gate because it was unclear whether all the luggage was on board. Finally, there was no tractor to move the plane into position.
In Manchester, it took another hour before the first passengers were able to leave the plane—there was a shortage of buses. The press conference with Kasper Hjulmand and Aleix Garcia, scheduled for 6 p.m., was therefore postponed by two hours. “It was strange, but that’s how it is sometimes,” said Hjulmand, referring to the series of mishaps.
“The worst thing was the long wait,” added Aleix Garcia, who will be facing his former club (“We will do our best to get the three points. For me personally, it will be a special game”).
Focus on Haaland? “It’s not just about him”
The focus on the game against clear favorites Manchester City was disrupted by this, but Hjulmand announced that he wanted to return to the set schedule as quickly as possible. “We’re sticking to tomorrow’s schedule and will be ready when it kicks off,” Hjulmand announced—knowing, of course, which opponent his team will be facing. “When we play ManCity, Bayern, or PSG, we have to suffer on the pitch at times. But seconds later, we can attack. We’re good with the ball and want to wait for our moments,” emphasized the Dane.
Hjulmand has no intention of focusing solely on Erling Haaland, who has already scored 19 goals in 16 competitive games this season. “We are ready and want to see if we can stop him. But it’s not just about him. He is well supported in a very good structure,” says Hjulmand.
However, the former Danish national coach was unable to get any tips or insider knowledge—beyond Haaland’s abilities, of course—from Claudio Echeverri. The Argentine, on loan from ManCity, knows a lot about his parent club, but Bayer has good analysts, “we know what City wants,” says Hjulmand, “we know everything.”
