Bayer Leverkusen vs Hertha BSC Berlin - Bayer Leverkusen chase seventh win to seal Champions League place

Posted Friday, April 29, 2016 by PA

Bayer Leverkusen will be bidding for a seventh straight Bundesliga win to cement their place in next season's Champions League when they host Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

Roger Schmidt's men know a win would guarantee them a top-four finish and they go into the game against the side one place and five points below them in the standings in a rich vein of form which has taken them to within touching distance of reaching their goal for the season.

"We don't want to let this opportunity slip," Schmidt told Germany's Bild newspaper ahead of Saturday evening's fixture at the BayArena.

"We've dropped too many points already this season so this run of form has come at just the right time for us."

Schmidt will have to reorganise his defence, though, with Wendell ruled out for the rest of the season due to injury and Jonathan Tah a doubt due to a stomach virus.

"It's going to be touch and go for Jonathan," Schmidt admitted.

"It's going to be very, very tight."

Should he miss out, that could boost Berlin's chances of reviving their own hopes of qualifying for the Champions League next season.

Pal Dardai's men have occupied a top four position since prior to the winter break, yet defeat this weekend could see them lose that berth to Borussia Monchengladbach.

The Hungarian coach has therefore declared this game the first of "three finals" that his side face between now and the end of the season.

"Our aim is six points, or a minimum of four," added Dardai, whose side have picked up just one point from their last four Bundesliga matches and were also knocked out of the DFB-Pokal by Borussia Dortmund last week.

"It's going to be a really difficult challenge because they are top opponents, so we're going to have to watch out.

"We'll try all we can to get the three points because we want to defend fourth place."

Dardai's team news is slightly better with goalkeeper Rune Jarstein available again to take his place in goal, although defender John Anthony Brooks will miss out due to injury.

After travelling to Leverkusen, Hertha host Darmstadt before concluding the season with a tricky trip to a Mainz side who are also still in the running for a place in the Champions League next season.

Martin Schmidt's men are just four points behind Berlin and at home to Hamburg on Saturday afternoon, where they can reduce the arrears to a single point before Hertha take to the field.