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Are Bayer tired from Champions League?

Many tend to think that Bayern shouldn't have problems against Bayer who got spent in the Champions League on Wednesday. The first to disagree is Pep Guardiola, and not only because he doesn't have too many options in the back line

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After Hoffenheim, those who love Bayern will say that the big teams win even when they don't play their best, and those who hate them will say that it's incredible how much luck those arrogant fellas sometimes have. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. You can't talk about luck if your opponent scores an eleven-meter shot 15 minutes before the end, ruining the draw, but then again, if you manage to win after that even after having a player sent off, it shows you've got character, too. Even if you scored your winning goal in the 90th minute, like Lewandowski did last weekend.

- We knew it will be hard, we always had problems against Hoffenheim in the last years, and today proved that wasn't by accident. So we have to be happy we won, and our game was pretty decent - the coach Guardiola was relieved after all the shocks.

As the transfer window is closing up, many great teams are trying to get rid of their ballast. Bayern borrowed the midfielder Hojbjerg to Schalke for the rest of the season. There's talk about Wolfsburg being interested in Dante, but that's probably not likely. With Boateng getting punished, and Benatia injured, Guardiola is forced to having to patch up the back line.

The Bavarians could do with a weaker opponent right now, but they only use superlatives when talking about Bayer, and there seems to be a good reason for that.

- Leverkusen create pressure with the ball all the time, you don't have the time to think too much, so we have to play clever and combine things fast. And of course, prevent Calhanoglu to get a chance for free kicks in the dangerous zone, he's the trickiest there is in that regard - Guardiola announced. He doesn't think that his opponents got exhausted in the Champions League on Wednesday.

- What fatigue, you can trust me, they'll be running and fighting for the entire 90 minutes.

Bayer fulfilled their primary goal this season. They beat Lazio convincingly in the CL playoff return fixture. True, they needed a whole half-time to score their first goal, but when that happened, the final outcome was obvious. Lazio's player getting sent off at the beginning of the second half-time did help, but that doesn't mean their win was any less valuable. They were just a better team against the Italians, and both matches confirmed that.

- We played our game and it was worth it. Our reaction in the second half-time is especially great, we didn't stop but we pushed the opponent to their half of the field, and tried to score the second goal. I think we earned to pass through - the coach Roger Schmidt commented. The sports director Rudi Voeller didn't hide his satisfaction:

- These are the nights every athlete lives for, everything was perfect today. We were patient enough, we scored goals at the right time, and there's nothing to hold against our win.

The offensive midfielder Son didn't partake in the celebration, there were rumors about his transfer to Tottenham. That was officially confirmed yesterday. One of the alternatives for the Korean will be Kevin Kampl who didn't show his best in Dortmund. But, when the opportunity came, Schmidt didn't hesitate to hire the Slovenian who he worked with well in Salzburg a few years back.

All in all, there's not much to be said about them getting prepared for Bayer:

- We got used to playing two matches a week last season, so it won't be a problem. As for the tactics, the key against Bayern is always to defend yourself well and keep them as far as possible from our goal. And also, to try to attack whenever we get a chance, and if we make the right decisions in that segment, we'll be an even opponent - Schmidt stated. The infamous Calhanoglu also said:

- If we play like we did against Lazio, we will have our chances in Munchen.