Bayer Leverkusen - Page 3 - TalkSoccer

**Trim** · 10-02-2007, 05:19 PM

Poor Leverkusen with another poor performance. They draw home 2-2 tonight against Frankfurt. They only managed to get the draw in the last minute, when Kiessling 90' scored the equaliser to prevent them from loosing.

**Oliver_Kahn** · 10-02-2007, 05:20 PM

Terrible season for Leverkusen so far, they can only count on the Uefa Cup now.

**Trim** · 14-02-2007, 07:09 PM

FT Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 Blackburn Rovers (18' Callsen-Bracker, 43' Ramelow, 56' Schneider / 39' Bentley, 86' Nonda)

Good and important win for Leverkusen. Never expected this win, judging their recent poor form in Bundesliga. They shouldn't have let in Nonda's goal, cuz going away to Blackburn for the second leg with 3-1 would have been much better. I still fear they will be knocked out. I hope not though.

**Trim** · 15-02-2007, 10:46 AM

In the first knockout round of the competition, Bayer Leverkusen eked out a narrow 3-2 victory against English premier league outfit Blackburn Rovers.

That leaves the Bundesliga side with every chance of reaching the last 16 of the competition for the first time in twelve years. Goals from Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker, Carsten Ramelow and Bernd Schneider sealed the result for the home side in front of 20,500 fans in the sold-out BayArena. It's Leverkusen's second win in 14 games against English opposition.

Late second goal

David Bentley and Shabani Nonda got on the scoresheet for Blackburn, who can consider themselves to have got off lightly against a technically and tactically superior Leverkusen side, led by an outstanding Bernd Schneider. Nonda grabbed
the visitors' second goal four minutes from the end.

Callsen-Bracker heads the opener

Micahel Skibbe's side went into the game without Brazilian central defensive duo Juan and Roque Junior - both missing due to injury, and the team again looked exposed at the back on occasions.With only a minute gone, Jason Roberts let the home side off the hook, narrowly failing to connect with a pass from Bentley. After that however Bayer took charge and went into the lead in the 18th minute, Callsen-Bracker connecting with a Schneider free-kick at the far post. Blackburn equalised six minutes before the break when Stefan Kießling deflected Bentley's free-kick past Leverkusen keeper Jörg Butt, but the Red-Blacks were back in front four minutes later, Ramelow firing home another deflected effort from outside the box.

Dream goal from Schneider

After the break Bayer continued to push forward and they were rewarded in style in the 56th minute, Schneider backheeling a cross from Gonzalo Castro beyond Rovers keeper Brad Friedel. Blackburn upped the pace somewhat after that and managed to snatch a late second through substitute Nonda.

Statistics

Leverkusen: Butt - Castro, Callsen-Bracker, Haggui, Babic - Ramelow, Rolfes - Barbarez, Schneider - Kießling (85. Freier), Voronin

Blackburn: Friedel - Emerton, Henchoz, Nelsen, Warnock - Bentley, Tugay, Mokoena (90.+1 Todd), Dunn (66. Peter) - Roberts (69. Nonda), McCarthy

Referee: Pieter Vink (Netherlands)

Goals: 1:0 Callsen-Bracker (18.), 1:1 Bentley (39.), 2:1 Ramelow (43.), 3:1 Schneider (56.), 3:2 Nonda (86.)

Attendance: 20,500

Yellow Cards: Barbarez - Mokoena

Costinha · 15-02-2007, 04:30 PM

Leverkusen should be a better team than Blackburn and should go to next round.

**Trim** · 17-02-2007, 04:31 PM

Leverkusen couldn't repeat what they did a few days ago against Blackburn. They lost home 1-0 today against visitors Hannover 96.

Bayer Leverkusen 0-1 Hannover 96 (7' Rosenthal)

**Trim** · 17-02-2007, 05:39 PM

VS

MD 23: FC Schalke 04 - Bayer Leverkusen
Stadium: VELTINS-Arena, Gelsenkirchen
Date: Sunday, 25th Feb, 17:00 C.E.T. (GMT +1)

Quick Schalke stats
Current League Form: WWWWD

Schalke failed to make 7 consecutive wins after drawing 2-2 against Wolfburg. They'll face Leverkusen, which lost their last game 1-0 against Hannover. Will Schalke win this match? Or will Leverkusen make a come back and win? We shall see on Sunday..

**Trim** · 17-02-2007, 05:39 PM

VS

MD 23: FC Schalke 04 - Bayer Leverkusen
Stadium: VELTINS-Arena, Gelsenkirchen
Date: Sunday, 25th Feb, 17:00 C.E.T. (GMT +1)

Quick Schalke stats
Current League Form: WWWWD

Schalke failed to make 7 consecutive wins after drawing 2-2 against Wolfburg. They'll face Leverkusen, which lost their last game 1-0 against Hannover. Will Schalke win this match? Or will Leverkusen make a come back and win? We shall see on Sunday..

**Oliver_Kahn** · 19-02-2007, 11:09 AM

Leverkusen to make a comeback, I fancy them to cause an upset here.

**Oliver_Kahn** · 19-02-2007, 11:09 AM

Leverkusen to make a comeback, I fancy them to cause an upset here.

**Oliver_Kahn** · 19-02-2007, 11:39 AM

Another disappointing result for them.

Leverkusen might get relegated if they continue like this

**Trim** · 19-02-2007, 06:09 PM

They should bring back Christoph Daum if they wanna achieve anything..

**Trim** · 22-02-2007, 07:38 AM

After a few disappointing results in the Bundesliga, Thursday's UEFA Cup match at Blackburn Rovers has become even more important for Leverkusen.

For Bayer 04 Leverkusen, it could well be the last glamorous night in Europe for a while. Rudi Völler, however, is having none of it.

Völler: "We have a chance"

"We have a chance and a lot to make up for in Blackburn. We showed in the first leg that we are able to compete", Bayer's sporting director said ahead of the third round second leg match at Blackburn Rovers on Thursday (19:00 CET).

Bayer's 3-2 advantage from the first leg is a narrow one. Especially the second goal for Blackburn late on still hurts, but Bayer head coach Michael Skibbe remains upbeat.

Good performance in the first leg

"A 3-1 would have been better, but we still travel to England strengthened. We showed in the first leg that we are able to compete in Europe."

Indeed Bayer showed one of their best performances this season despite carelessly missing out on a higher victory against the English Champions of 1995.

Things were a bit different in the Bundesliga lately. After a 1-0 home defeat against Hanover, Leverkusen are seven points away from 1. FC Nürnberg and a place in Europe.

Four matches without a win

That's why Skibbe is having none of the former goal "direct qualification for Europe" at the moment. "We need to stabilise the team first", the Bayer head coach said after four successive matches without a win.

"It's important that we stop to invite our opponents to score. Then we'll have a chance in Blackburn", skipper Carsten Ramelow stressed after Bayer conceded twelve goals in their last six competitive matches.

Three returning for Bayer

High hopes are pinned on Juan. The Brazilian international has recovered from a torn muscle and will play at the centre of defence alongside Karim Haggui.

Jörg Butt and Paul Freier, both suspended against Hanover, return as well, giving Skibbe the opportunity to field his strongest eleven (long-term injury victim Roque Junior aside).

That boost couldn't come at a better time. After the Blackburn match Bayer face leaders Schalke and then second-placed Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. Two more defeats could leave Bayer stranded in midfield.

Peter: "We're very strong at home"

For the moment, though, all eyes are on Blackburn. Rovers are still involved in three competitions after holding Arsenal FC to a goalless draw in the FA Cup.

"The second leg will be differently from the game in Leverkusen. We're very strong at home", said Rover's German Sergio Peter, who came on as a substitute in the first leg.

Line-ups as expected:

Blackburn: Friedel - Emerton, Henchoz, Nelsen, Warnock - Pedersen, Bentley, Tugay, Dunn - McCarthy, Nonda.

Leverkusen: Butt - Castro, Juan, Haggui, Babic - Ramelow, Rolfes - Freier, Schneider - Barbarez (Voronin) - Kießling.

Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco (Spanien)

**Trim** · 22-02-2007, 07:48 AM

Leverkusen coach Michael Skibbe was delighted to learn that Brazilian defender Juan is fit to face Uefa Cup opponents Blackburn Rovers.

The Bundesliga outfit take a narrow 3-2 first-leg lead to England and Skibbe believes that Juan's experience might prove a vital point.

"I am glad to have a player like him back again as experience is what counts in games like this," declared Skibbe, who warned his team not to become too negative in their tactical approach.

"We can't just pull everyone behind and hope that we don’t concede a goal. We need a tight defence, but we will have to be dangerous on the fast break."

Juan - replacing Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker - is expected to partner Karim Haggui in the heart of Bayer's defence which is completed by Marko Babic and Gonzalez Castro while Simon Rolfes and Carsten Ramelow are both given a holding role in defensive midfield.

German Under-21 star Stefan Kiessling might spearhead Leverkusen's attack, but the youngster is plagued by pain in his teeth and Liverpool-bound Andrei Voronin might step in to play as the lone striker.

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**Trim** · 22-02-2007, 08:00 PM

FT' Blackburn Rovers 0-0 Bayer Leverkusen

Leverkusen goes through. Well done.