LEVERKUSEN, Germany – Bayer Leverkusen will show they are a complete team against Bayern Munich in Tuesday’s Champions League last 16 return leg even without injured midfielder Florian Wirtz, ruled out for weeks with a ligament injury, coach Xabi Alonso said on Monday.
The news of Wirtz’s injury is a major blow to the reigning Bundesliga champions, who must claw their way back from a 3-0 first leg loss to the Bavarians in their all-German clash.
“I am really sorry for him because he was in a top moment,” Alonso told a press conference. “Now it is a good moment to show we are a complete team and that we can go on without him.
“Once the ball is rolling many unexpected things can happen. For us, this game is all-in, make or break.”
The 21-year-old Germany international suffered a ligament injury in their 2-0 home loss to Werder Bremen on Saturday and will be out of action for several weeks, the club said earlier on Monday.
Wirtz, who has scored nine league goals and set up another 10, has netted another six times in the Champions League, and he will also miss Germany’s Nations League quarter-final legs against Italy on March 20 and March 23.
Holders Leverkusen are also through to the German Cup semi-finals.
Alonso said while a 3-0 deficit from the first leg against Bayern was a huge challenge, believing they could turn it around was key, while the absence of Wirtz could also act as added motivation.
“The first thing we have to do is to believe, and for the fans to also believe from the first second that we can do it,” the coach said. “It is a game of another dimension. We must play with heart, passion and brain. We have a chance and have to fight until the end.
“But with a big situation you can also achieve something epic. (Wirtz’s injury) could also be a boost, to say we fight for the big game but also for Flo.”
“The team is convinced we can do it for many reasons but one is that we are in a position where we have nothing to lose. 100 percent of Bayern fans believe they will go through,” Alonso added. REUTERS
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