Bayer Leverkusen vs Monaco preview - Schmidt wants Leverkusen progress
Posted Tuesday, November 25, 2014 by PA
Bayer Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt does not want there to be any lingering doubts about his side's future in the Champions League come the final whistle of their clash with Monaco on Wednesday evening.
Leverkusen welcome last season's Ligue 1 runners-up to the BayArena knowing that victory would assure their place in the last 16.
More importantly, three points would take them through as group winners, giving them a potentially better draw in the knockout stages, and Schmidt wants to avoid any other scenario by gaining revenge for their only defeat in Europe so far this season.
"Our aim is to win and that would already determine that we would be going through as group winners," Schmidt said at a press conference on Tuesday.
"It's not going to be easy, but we're going to give it all that we've got."
Since losing in the Principality, Leverkusen have beaten Benfica and won home and away against Zenit St Petersburg, scoring seven and conceding only two, bouncing back in style from a "difficult scenario" back in September.
"It was anything but a good start, but that makes it all the more satisfying that we now have our destiny in our own hands in our own stadium."
Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim was pleasantly surprised with his side's victory on opening night, saying his side were rank outsiders prior to kick-off.
They assume the same role in Germany on Wednesday, only Jardim is not very confident there will be a repeat this time around.
"I'm not happy with my team," he said after a 2-2 draw with Caen at the weekend, a result which leaves his club in mid-table.
"We needed to take to the field with a winning mentality, but my players didn't do that. All they did was react.
"We've got eight games until the end of the year and we need to work hard to get back to winning ways."
Jardim has vowed to make changes too with Andrea Raggi, Nabil Dirar and Layvin Kurzawa all named as definite starters on Wednesday since they did not feature at the weekend.
Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Stefan Reinartz both miss out for Leverkusen.
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