Leverkusen returned from Greece with a draw in the third round of the Europa League.
Instantly, the group qualifying situation became less optimistic.
After 3 games, Leverkusen ranks first with 5 points.
Aris followed with 4 points.
Porto and Rosenborg both have 3 points.
The qualifying situation is very tight.
Heynckes is naturally not anxious.
After all, you are going to train troops, and it is normal to pay for your performance.
Moreover, there are still two home games in the group stage, and Leverkusen is fully confident of getting a promotion spot from this group.
At the weekend, Bayer Leverkusen ushered in the first place battle at home.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Mainz.
The difference between the two teams is only 1 point.
Mainz's 7-game winning streak was called a "miracle" by the German media!
Not only did they defeat last season's dark horse Hoffenheim, but also former Bundesliga champions like Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg were brutally murdered.
Even defending champion Bayern Munich was not spared.
Young coach Tuchel has also become a celebrity in German media reports with his outstanding record of 7 consecutive wins.
The Mainz team once had seven years of hard work by Klopp.
Following a wave of ups and downs, Klopp went to the Ruhr area to revitalize Dortmund. Tuchel then came out and led the team back to the Bundesliga. Last season, as a newly promoted team, finishing ninth in the league was already an overfulfillment of the task.
Since the new season, he has released another big move that shocked the Bundesliga.
It's just that compared to Leverkusen, which has a star like Hao Qiang who has been violently playing all the way, Mainz lacks heavyweight players.
The German media even conducted a lineup-value comparison.
Even based on Hao Qiang's transfer value, he is worth at least half of Mainz's players!
It can be said that Mainz is a civilian team through and through.
Mainz's winning streak was interrupted in the last round.
gave way to the top spot.
This is not unexpected.
Leverkusen's strength will be considered by the German media as a chance to win the championship.
Mainz's strong record is more like a miracle than a norm.
Last season's half-time champion, newly promoted Hoffenheim failed to continue its miracle in the second half.
The hope of civilian teams to participate in the championship competition is still slim.
Heynckes did not look down upon Mainz.
Based on the recent status of the players, he made adjustments to the starting lineup.
Changes 4231.
Sam, Vidal, and Barnetta are behind the center Hao Qiang.
Mainz came to the Bayer Arena and set up a 442 formation.
Young coach Tuchel gave passionate instructions from the sidelines.
Mainz's overall performance was extremely united.
The zone defense was in place, and the offense was short and fast. There was no one player that was particularly outstanding. They worked hard to maximize teamwork.
Leverkusen's defense has always been stable, but its offensive performance is unsatisfactory.
Hao Qiang was under siege and acted as a fulcrum to connect with his teammates for partial coordination, but the effect was not good.
Barnetta is in a bit of a bad shape.
Vidal and Sam were not at their best either.
From time to time, Hao Qiang would make a sneak shot by controlling the ball and getting rid of it. The threat was visible, but it was still far from a goal.
Leverkusen fans originally watched the game with high interest.
Hope the team can continue their winning streak.
Don't look at Mainz's outstanding record.
The inherent impression will not be completely changed if the opponent plays a few good games.
Didn’t Mainz lose to Hamburg in the last round?
But the team's poor performance caught people off guard.
Naturally, I can't help but complain.
"Barnetta is messing around. He didn't go to the away game in the middle of the week. His condition today is shockingly bad!"
"Rolfes and Kadlec can be forgiven, after all, they played in the Europa League in the middle of the week."
"Actually, I want to say that Mainz performed very well. Their teamwork is very organized in both offense and defense. Tuchel has something. It seems that it was not just luck to lead the team to ninth place in the league last season."
"Maybe he can take off coaching a big team!"
"He is still too young and may not be able to control the dressing room of a big club!"
When the game reached 60 minutes, Heynckes couldn't sit still.
Substitute.
Rolfes, Kadlec and Barnetta were replaced together.
Jorgensen, Derdiyok and Balic appeared.
The three centers reunited, with Balic filling in the midfield.
Heynckes gestured to Hao Qiang on the sidelines and asked him to play as a left winger.
There is no way, Jorgensen and Deldy York can't fight.
Three centers crowded in the penalty area have no effect.
The purpose of Heynckes' substitution is very clear.
Just to win.
Extremely murderous!
Hao Qiang went to the left wing, but did not have the explosive operation he had in the previous game against Wolfsburg.
Leverkusen fans remain patient.
Give Hao Qiang a better feel on the left side.
In fact, the reason why Hao Qiang's performance was limited was that Leverkusen had no support from the left.
Without Kadlec, he controls the ball on the left, and Mainz can confidently launch a zone defense and press.
Making it difficult for him to form a push.
Even if you control the ball on the spot and dodge the press, you can only pass the ball quickly.
In the 69th minute of the game, Leverkusen, which had three defenders, strengthened its attack and faced Mainz's quick counterattack. Only two central defenders were left.
Midfielder Ivan Schitz, who came on as a substitute, received a pass from center Shaloi, then changed direction and broke into the penalty area with a powerful shot to complete the goal!
Leverkusen 0:1 Mainz!
Mainz fans cheered wildly!
"Everyone thought we were dead after losing to Hamburg! Haha, they were wrong!"
"Leverkusen can compete for the championship, why can't we?"
"That is, we want the German media to kneel down and apologize. They should not despise us!"
Tuchel didn't dare to smile.
Heynckes' substitution adjustment revealed a mentality: Mainz, nothing to be afraid of!
Previous teams such as Werder Bremen, Wolfsburg, and Bayern Munich also thought the same way.
It should be said that this idea is not wrong.
If the teams competing for the championship have to be cautious when facing Mainz, then what attitude should they adopt when encountering their rivals for the championship?
It can only be said that Mainz is underestimated to a certain extent, but it does not mean that being strong is wrong.
Heynckes played all the cards in one go.
It's like being given a head start.
Stealing the chicken will end up losing the rice.
At this time, there is no need to worry about having no one to replace him.
Already studing on the offensive end.
Should I go back to defend if I make another substitution?
Leverkusen fans were confused.
This game seemed completely different from what they expected.
Are Mainz really that strong?
If this trend continues, Mainz will be able to win all the Bundesliga championship groups in less than 10 league rounds!
At this moment, all Leverkusen fans couldn't help but turn their attention to Hao Qiang.
Hao Qiang retreated to half court and stood near the wing.
He looked back at the empty left back position.
Without support, the situation he faced was much more difficult than the one he faced in the last round against Wolfsburg.
The lack of changes in coordination naturally makes it easier for the opponent to predict defensively.
Hao Qiang silently closed his eyes.
Looking at Totti, Beckham and Nedved in the warehouse.
His trump cards are getting fewer and fewer.
But the current situation cannot be ignored.
After thinking about it, the only one he can use on the left is Nedvěd.
