German giants Bayer Leverkusen will lock horns with Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday. Roger Schmidt’s men will look to gain an advantage over Spurs with a win which will put them ahead of the Lilywhites in the Group E standings. Here is the predicted Bayer lineup for the massive UCL fixture at Wembley.
Formation
Coach Roger Schmidt has used a 4-4-2 formation this season which has proven effective against big teams but tends to struggle against smaller clubs.
Goalkeeper: Bernd Leno will be the man between the sticks for Die Werkself on Tuesday night. The 24-year old keeper has not been in good form this season but will look to get back on track against the English outfit.
Right Back: Benjamin Henrichs has been one of the bright spots for a fire Leverkusen season. The 18-year old has lived up to the billing and successfully fitted in as a fullback in Roger Schmidt’s formation. The youngster has averaged about three interceptions per game along with seven chances created this season. Henrichs is also known for his versatility, generally, a left back, he was seen romping as a right back in some games.
Right Centre Back: Jonathan Tah didn’t feature in weekend’s victory over Wolfsburg. Since signing from HSV, the 20-year old has gone on to be one of Bundesliga’s best defenders and also received a few caps for the German National Team. Tah would be crucial as Roger Schmidt will want his side to keep a clean sheet.
Left Centre Back: Turkish International Omer Toprak will act as the left-sided centre-back against Spurs. A subject for many transfer speculation over his possible move to Borussia Dortmund, Toprak is also one of the league’s best defenders but has struggled with form this season. He will play a vital role leading the Leverkusen team on Tuesday night.
Left Back: Brazilian fullback Wendell is an easy pick for the left back spot. A target for Pep Guardiola’s Man City team, Wendell, was recently awarded his first Brazil call-up due to his impressive performances in the Bundesliga for the past two seasons.
Right Midfield: Slovenian midfielder Kevin Kampl will start from the right-hand side. The former Borussia Dortmund man has been a revelation since moving to Leverkusen at the start of last season. He produced an excellent through pass to Henrichs which eventually lead to the equalising goal in their 2:1 comeback against Wolfsburg on Saturday. Crucial to their pressing play, Kampl will look to forge attacks down the right flank.
Centre Midfield: Lars Bender has been a constant subject of speculation amongst the Spurs camp in the past few seasons now. The 27-year old will have a chance to show his credentials when he faces up against Mauricio Pochettino’s men.
Centre Midfield: The other central midfield role will be given to Charles Aranguiz. The Chilean International is one of the smarter players in the league, and on his day, he has the ability to be one of the best box to box midfielders in the Bundesliga. Aranguiz will no doubt be crucial to stopping the influence of Dele Alli down the middle.
Left Midfield: Young German International Julian Brandt will start from the left flank against Tottenham. Even though of his impressive performances time and time again, the 20-year old surprisingly scoreless this season. Failing to score in any competitions this season, Brandt will roast his hunger to score as he aims to breach the strong Tottenham backline with his pace and dynamism.
Centre Forward: Swiss International Admir Mehmedi will start up as a centre forward. The role of Mehmedi is simple yet complicated; he teams up with Chicharito to press the two ball playing midfielder and at the same time, use their cover shadows in order to prevent the ball being circulated to midfield players. Mehmedi scored in the win against Wolfsburg, which was his second of the season.
Striker: The most offensive-minded player on the field, Chicharito is always ready to work hard. The Mexican International has been crucial for the Leverkusen team since moving from Manchester United, scoring 33 goals in 53 games in the Bayer shirt. He has also been Leverkusen’s top scorer this season with five goals all competitions and will look to extend that total against Tottenham on Tuesday.
