A moment ago on the Bosporus - and now against Bayer.

In the case of unity, things continue in rapid succession.

After the pleasant business trip to the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul, in which the team of the Frankfurt soccer teacher Oliver Glasner also cleared the Fenerbahce hurdle in the sixth group game and thus made it through to the round of 16 of the Europa League (March 10 and 17, 2022), the focus was still in Istanbul on the imminent Bundesliga test against Leverkusen.

Ralf Weitbrecht

Sports editor.

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Shortly before the return flight to Germany, Eintracht coach Glasner took up a position in the Istanbul team hotel.

His credo for an “overall really outstanding performance” in the European Cup: Eintracht must be very careful against the “turbo footballers” from Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

This Sunday (5.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and DAZN) it will be the last game that will end the 15th Bundesliga matchday.

15,000 spectators are admitted to the Frankfurt Arena in times that are still tense pandemic.

In Istanbul on Thursday evening there was a poor crowd of not even 9,000 spectators, who were able to get an idea on site in the Kadiköy district that the 1: 1 of unity, for which Djibril Sow had taken the lead in the 29th minute, has been well deserved.

Oliver Glasner with ideas

Fenerbahce is history, the present is Leverkusen.

And with it a lot of work for Eintracht.

On Friday morning, Glasner spoke with the utmost respect of the "speed" of the Rhinelander, who would come with a lot of speed over the outside.

The Bayer professionals have earned the reputation of being the most successful Bundesliga team after counterattacks.

Nine goals are an expression of the great offensive quality of the highly talented Leverkusen team.

One of them, Florian Wirtz, is particularly fond of Glasner.

“He's already playing at an incredibly high level at 18,” enthused the Eintracht coach.

"It is already very complete and finds rooms where there are hardly any."

After the Bavarian veteran Thomas Müller, there is a second German interpreter to whom special attention should be paid. With respect, but thanks to the successes in the Europa League also with a good portion of self-confidence, Glasner wants to tackle the task early on Sunday evening. "We want to deliver a hot fight to Leverkusen with vigor, joy and positive energy." Without wanting to go into detail, the Eintracht trainer promised "ideas" with which it should be possible to achieve the "high-class outside and the exciting wing tongs" to crack and fight.

So it is conceivable that Christopher Lenz, who was injured for three months, could come back to his early days. It is also possible that Glasner will switch from a back three to a back four in defense. In any case, it is undisputed: “We need good switching. We have to get the opposing counterattackers under control as soon as the ball is received. "

As after the away win at Olympiacos Piraeus, Eintracht used the day after to start preparations for the next Bundesliga test on site. So now in Istanbul too. Unlike in Athens, it was not about swimming in the sea, but relaxed jogging in the fresh air and regeneration training in the weight room. "Fifteen degrees and sunshine," said Glasner, would have made it easy for the Frankfurt coach to leave Istanbul in the afternoon. The Austrian also used the several-hour return flight to get another picture of the Bayer professionals together with the video analysts.

Quite a number of their regulars were not actively involved at all on Thursday, when Leverkusen, who had already been group winners, lost 1-0 at Ferencvaros. Nine were spared. Glasner prefers a different strategy. At Fenerbahce, too, he trusted his regular eleven who had been tried and tested in the previous weeks. Only Jens Petter Hauge joined the team for the injured Jesper Lindström. The day after the 1: 1, Glasner affirmed that he was not a fan of large rotations.

In the past he would have done it twice on a large scale at other coaching stations - and thus made the wrong decision twice.

Both games were lost.

So everything speaks for the fact that there should be at most marginal changes against Leverkusen.

In terms of attitude, however, Glasner expects the same focus as usual.

“The team is alive and hungry for success.” She can prove it against the speed footballers from the Bayer Cross.