Aleix Garcia has declared winning the Europa League as the stated goal for Bayer Leverkusen. The midfielder made the statement ahead of the team's first group stage match against NK Celje, which Bayer won 2-0 on Wednesday evening.
"The goal is to win the thing," said Aleix Garcia. The Spaniard emphasised the team's high ambitions in the European competition following a mixed start to the Bundesliga season with four points from three games. Bayer Leverkusen currently sits in seventh place in the table.
The victory against Slovenian champions Celje was secured by an own goal from S. Seslar in the 15th minute and a strike from F. Medina in the 74th minute. Medina was assisted by Aleix Garcia. This success followed a 2-2 draw away to FC Augsburg last weekend.
Ahead of the important Bundesliga home match against fifth-placed RB Leipzig on Sunday, Garcia underlined the importance of the Europa League for the club. The full schedule can be found on the fixtures page. The team under coach Xabi Alonso aims to carry the positive momentum from European competition forward. The next task in Group H follows in two weeks.
With Patrik Schick, who has already scored three goals this season, Leverkusen possesses a dangerous attack. This season's squad and injury list can be viewed on the squad page. The Werkself now wants to extend its run of three wins in the last five competitive matches.
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Following the 2-0 win against NK Celje on Wednesday, coach Carles Martínez was self-critical. "I expected more from us," said Martínez. He admitted it was not their best game. Robert Andrich also criticized the performance, saying they had left too much space. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken demanded more cleanliness in their build-up play. Sporting director Simon Rolfes stated they need to improve, ahead of the home game against RB Leipzig on Sunday. Leverkusen are seventh in the Bundesliga with four points from three games.
On Saturday, Robert Andrich said the performance in the 2-0 win against Celje was not enough to win the desired trophy. "So you can't win the trophy we want to win overall," said Andrich. He stated his relationship with coach Carles Martínez is getting better. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken demanded better ball possession management ahead of Sunday's match against RB Leipzig. Leverkusen has scored eight goals and conceded five in the Bundesliga.
Ahead of the home match against RB Leipzig on Sunday, the club confirmed the injury list. Kennet Eichhorn, Montrell Culbreath, Nathan Tella and Ibrahim Maza are sidelined with injuries. Leverkusen goes into the match with a record of three wins, one draw and one loss from its last five competitive games.
