Bayer Leverkusen vs Stuttgart preview - Schmidt wary of Stuttgart threat - 7M sport

Bayer Leverkusen vs Stuttgart preview - Schmidt wary of Stuttgart threat



Posted Thursday, March 12, 2015 by PA

The league table is the last thing Bayer Leverkusen will be looking at this Friday while it does not make for particularly happy reading for guests Stuttgart.

The Werkself can move up to third with a win over a Stuttgart side rooted to the bottom and five points adrift of safety, but neither of those constellations interest their coach Roger Schmidt.

"Nobody should make the mistake of judging Stuttgart by their league position," Schmidt said at a press conference.

"It's never easy to play against a team who are fighting for their place in the league, while Stuttgart have a strong team and you can't fail to notice an upwards trend.

"They've already picked up plenty of points away from home and are high up in that particular classification.

"They are a side who are going to make us work very hard because they are very united as a team."

Schmidt is not looking at the league table, and he is not looking at next Tuesday's Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid yet either.

"We just want to win this game and we'll send out the best team possible to do so," he added.

That will not include Emir Spahic, who is suspended, but Lars Bender could be included together with Hakan Calhanoglu.

He added: "Hakan and Lars were back in training again with the team and things look good with Hakan, but Lars still has a slight problem.

"We've just got to wait and see if he can be involved."

Stuttgart coach Huub Stevens is without both Martin Harnik and Moritz Leitner due to suspension, but they do have the belief that they can get something in Leverkusen.

In the reverse fixture, they trailed 3-0 before fighting back for a draw and that is the kind of spirit they need to show again at the BayArena.

"It was a crazy game," said midfielder Florian Klein. "But we know from that game that we can recover from going behind against such top teams and that of course gives us strength."



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