Bayer Leverkusen

Despite scoring a goal in Poland's 2-0 Euro 2016 qualifier win over Germany, it is up in the air if Bayer Leverkusen are willing to give Arkadiusz Milik another chance. 

Loaned out to Ajax, could he end up developing into Leverkusen's answer to Robert Lewandowski next season? 

As Polish right-back Lukasz Piszczek scanned the field for Lewandowski, Milik made a stealthy run in behind the ball-watching, oblivious and unaware German centre-back Mats Hummels.

The cross lacked the trajectory to reach Lewandowski, but Milik was in the perfect position to nod the ball past German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. 

Underachievers Poland holding on to a win over FIFA World Cup champions Germany was described as "a miracle, something that shouldn't happen according to nature, physics and Murphy's law," per Michal Pol at Przeglad Sportowy (h/t Maciej Slominski at The Guardian). 

The same can be said about Milik getting the better of Hummels, who played a key part in Germany's World Cup triumph. 

The goal fell into place for Milik.

• Hummels failed to look over his shoulder. 
• Piszczek underhit his cross.
• No German tracked the run of Milik.
• Neuer opted to rush out, instead of staying on his line. 

Dla takich chwil się żyje. Strzelić gola mistrzom świata-bezcenne uczucie. pic.twitter.com/qRpqMz0ooo

— Arkadiusz Milik (@arekmilik9) October 12, 2014

Having scored twice in 709 combined minutes of Bundesliga football for Leverkusen and Augsburg, Milik's career has slanted more towards Michal Papadopulos than Lewandowski.

Signed from Gornik Zabrze for €2.6/£2.1 million in 2012, Milik was put on a pedestal by Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller, one of Germany's greatest No. 9s.

"Arkadiusz Milik is considered to be possibly the biggest rising star in Poland at the moment," Voller said, per Leverkusen's official website. "He has already made it to the Poland squad at the age of 18."

https://twitter.com/Mr_Bundesliga/status/278533253634326528

Whereas, Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc reacted moderately when sealing a €4/£3.2 million deal to sign Lech Poznan's Robert Lewandowski.

"We are pleased to have reached an agreement [with Poznan] to sign Robert after some tough but fair negotiations," Zorc said, per UEFA's official website. "He will provide us with more attacking options for the coming season."

League Only	Arkadiusz Milik 12-13 + 13-14	Robert Lewandowski 10-11
Goals/Games	2/24	8/33
Goals Per Game	0.08	0.24
Shots Per Goal	11.5	10
Minutes Per Goal	354.5	202.5

A shoot-on-sight policy is fine if you are Gerd Muller, but Lewandowski's 0.24 goals per game did not give grounds for his selfishness. 

He was derisively nicknamed "Chancentod" (the death of goal-scoring opportunities) by local newspapers during his first season for Dortmund, per Raphael Honigstein at Sports Illustrated. 

Then-teammate Shinji Kagawa was often irked and frustrated with Lewandowski. 

"Lewandowski's game is purely focused on trying to score himself," Kagawa said, per Nikkei (h/t Stefan Coerts at Goal). "That's why I hardly get the ball from him. There's nothing you can do about that, though. That's simply the type of player he is."

Milik needs to adopt Lewandowski's ambitiousness. 

A combined 0.08 goals per game, 11.5 shots per goal and a 1.0 shots per game average for Leverkusen and Augsburg in the past two seasons confirms Milik is inefficient in front of goal and does not take enough shots. 

It is unacceptable that Milik (two goals) was outscored by 11 Bundesliga defenders last season.

1. Wolfsburg left-back Ricardo Rodriguez (five).
2. Hoffenheim centre-back Niklas Sule (four).
3. Augsburg right-back Paul Verhaegh (three). 
4. Borussia Dortmund right-back Lukasz Piszczek (three).
5. Borussia Monchengladbach left-back Oscar Wendt (three).
6. Hamburg centre-back/right-back Heiko Westermann (three).
7. Nurnberg centre-back Per Nilsson (three).
8. Schalke centre-back Joel Matip (three).
9. Werder Bremen left-back Santiago Garcia (three). 
10. Wolfsburg centre-back Naldo (three). 
11. Wolfsburg centre-back Robin Knoche (three). 

Kicker rate players on a scale of 1-6 (one being world class, six being not Bundesliga standard). 

Milik's 4.14 rating was the worst of any Augsburg player last season, per Kicker. 

This is why Leverkusen effectively replaced Milik by signing Josip Drmic from Nurnberg for €6.8/£5.4 million.

Drmic scored twice in a nine-minute window in Nurnberg's 2-0 win over Stuttgart, whereas Milik took 709 minutes over two seasons to score two goals. 

Finishing the season with 17 goals for a relegated Bundesliga team proved Drmic's ability to work with lesser players, something Milik failed to achieve on loan at Augsburg.

"We won out against serious competition and are happy that Josip Drmic has opted to take up a long-term deal with us," Voller said, per Leverkusen's official website. "He's quick, strong and can play on either wing as well as in the middle. Josip is a top player who really fits in with our ambitions."

I can't wait to new season !! :) pic.twitter.com/pwDXQkszxS

— Arkadiusz Milik (@arekmilik9) May 16, 2014

Milik does not fit in with Leverkusen's ambitions thus why Ajax have the option to extend his loan into a permanent deal. 

The imperative words being "have the option."

"I'm looking forward to playing in the Dutch [Eredivisie] competition," Milik said, per Ajax's official website. "Obviously, I'm hoping to score many goals."

Milik is an enigma. 

2 - Arkadiusz Milik had more touches in his own penalty box (2) than in the opposition box (1) in Ajax vs Vitesse. Confusion.

— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) August 11, 2014

Touching the ball 18 times and not registering a single shot in 58 minutes during Ajax's 4-1 win over Vitesse is inexplicable from Milik.

But he was class from the get-go in Ajax's 2-1 win over Heracles Almelo.

Spits @arekmilik9 maakte gisteravond 2 goals tijdens #ajaher en werd verkozen tot Ajacied van de Wedstrijd. pic.twitter.com/X4dr85y9Mh

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) September 14, 2014

'Op koers gehouden door @ArekMilik9'. Wat schreven de kranten over #ajaher? Je leest het hier: http://t.co/cWwCksBrYy pic.twitter.com/2EpO7JyShb

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) September 15, 2014

It is his lack of application and inconsistency which hinders Milik. 

He is languorous, plays with no urgency and unsurprisingly has warmed the benches in 62.5 percent of his league games for Ajax. 

He is a funk like Zlatan Ibrahimovic was during his first season at Ajax, per his autobiography I am Zlatan:

I hadn't lived up to the expectations. It was my first real set back. But I refused to give up.

I would show them. That thought went around in my head, day and night, and honestly, I had to, regardless if I was getting sold or not. I had to show that I was good no matter what.

It's was just that: how would I do that when I wasn't getting any playing time? 

Like Ibrahimovic, talent is not in question when it comes to Milik's future. 

Milik shoots with either foot and has almost attempted more shots with his right (three) than his left (four) this season. 

He provides an aerial presence, is technically excellent and can play in his teammates. 

Milik has flashed the ability to one day reach Lewandowski's level, like six goals in Ajax's 9-0 KNVB Cup win over JOS Watergraafsmeer and a clutch header against Germany. 

7 - Arkadiusz Milik scored six goals with 42 touches against JOS, one goal per seven touches. Effective. pic.twitter.com/pC1enIpAKu

— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) September 24, 2014

Arkadiusz Milik the first professional to score six goals in the KNVB Cup since Luis Suarez in 2009 (via @InfostradaNL )

— Dutch Football (@football_oranje) September 24, 2014

@allanjianga

+allanjiang

Statistics via WhoScored 

With an up-and-down 2013-14 campaign reaching its conclusion, Bayer Leverkusen have decided that Roger Schmidt is the man who will lead them back to prominence in the Bundesliga.

According to Bleacher Report's Andy Brassell, Bayer have hired Schmidt away from Austria's Red Bull Salzburg to be their new manager on a two-year deal:

The move was confirmed by Bundesliga.com, and Schmidt expressed his excitement regarding an opportunity to make a splash in one of the world's top leagues.

"I'm really looking forward to the new challenge at a great club and am delighted to be able to work in the Bundesliga," Schmidt said.

The move comes just a few weeks after the sacking of Sami Hyypia, who was unable to halt a slide that saw Bayer plummet in the Bundesliga standings.

Bayer Leverkusen have since rebounded to fourth place under interim manager Sascha Lewandowski, and the pieces appear to be in place for Schmidt to have a great deal of success moving forward.

Schmidt has prior German managerial experience, most notably with SC Paderborn 07 of the 2. Bundesliga, but there is no question that his greatest success has come with Salzburg.

Schmidt led the prominent club to second place in the Austrian Bundesliga last season before taking the league title in 2013-14. Although his high-level coaching experience is limited, Schmidt has big name recognition in Germany.

Bayer were certainly linked to other intriguing candidates, including sacked Manchester United manager David Moyes, according to football agent Edward Blackwood:

That obviously didn't come to fruition as Bayer Leverkusen instead opted for someone with a more intimate knowledge of the German style.

Schmidt's capability of performing well in the German Bundesliga is somewhat of an unknown at this point, but Bayer's late-season rebound should give the club some good vibes heading into 2014-15.

Bayern Munich will continue to be the class of the league, but with Borussia Dortmund potentially starting to come back to the field, a second-place finish next season for Bayer under the guidance of Schmidt isn't outside the realm of possibility.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

Sport Bild are today reporting that Bayer Leverkusen have offered €7.5 million for Nurnberg striker Josip Drmic. 

The Swiss international has been linked with a move away from Nurnberg this summer with reports suggesting Arsenal are interested, according to Bild (via Ed Malyon of the Daily Mirror).

He has scored 16 times in 29 matches during a difficult season for Nurnberg, who are currently fighting a battle to stay in Germany's top division. They currently lie two points from safety with their next game at home to Leverkusen. 

The speedy striker is also set to star for Switzerland this summer in the World Cup, having scored the first two goals of his senior international career against Croatia last month. 

While Drmic isn't a typical target man, he has the speed, quick feet and finishing ability to make an impact at the highest level of world football. 

Leverkusen will lose one of their main scoring threats to Schalke this summer in Sidney Sam. Given their reliance on Stefan Kiessling, who has scored 15 goals in 30 games, it seems Sascha Lewandowski's men could do with an extra striker.

Lothar Matthias, German football legend, recently announced that Drmic would leave Nurnberg in the summer for Arsenal for a fee of €8 million, according to Ben Jeffereson from The Express. 

Matthias was the man who announced that Robert Lewandowski would leave Borussia Dortmund for Bayern Munich before it was public knowledge, and is seemingly the recipient of privileged transfer information.

However, last month, Drmic reportedly told Bild (via the Daily Mail) that a move to Arsenal would be a "dream."

The Gunners are believed to be looking for a striker, given their lack of depth at the position.

Stats via Transfermarkt.com

Sami Hyypia has been dismissed from his position as Bayer Leverkusen manager following a disappointing run of results, which has seen the club win just one of their last nine Bundesliga fixtures.

Eurosport quote Leverkusen CEO Michael Schade on his side's decision to part ways with the ex-Liverpool defender in a club statement:

"After a lot of thought and because of the ongoing crisis we reached the conclusion that a change at this point could help us urgently turn things around."

Club sporting director Rudi Voller also commented on the matter, per the Bundesliga's official website:

It was a very difficult decision as Sami has done a fantastic job for us in the last two years. What he and his coaching staff managed to get out of our team in the first half of the season far exceeded our expectations and earned him widespread praise.

It makes this decision all the more difficult. However, the developments of the last few weeks gave us no other option but to go our separate ways. We have to do everything in our power to save our season.

The sacking comes in the wake of Friday's 2-1 loss to Hamburg, who had themselves been experiencing a torrid run of results in the latter half of the 2013-14 campaign.

BT Sport's Archie Rhind-Tutt points out precisely how bad the club's run of form has been, equivalent to that of relegation candidates Eintracht Braunschweig:

Until a permanent successor is appointed, the Bundesliga report states that Sascha Lewandowski will take charge of the team in an interim capacity.

Hyypia was initially appointed co-manager of the Factory Squad in April 2012 alongside Lewandowski. However, the latter stepped down from the position at the start of this season to become more closely associated with the club's youth setup.

German football expert Jonathan Harding hints that despite Hyypia's success, it may have always been Lewandowski who deserved praise for Leverkusen's rise:

The season began well for Hyypia, who saw his Leverkusen team lose just twice in the league up until mid-November but having claimed just 11 points in 2014, the BayArena outfit now sit fourth in the table, six points away from third-placed Schalke.

Given the club's recent run of form, one can't blame Leverkusen's hierarchy for feeling that change was needed at the helm, but the decision will have been a difficult one considering Hyypia ended his playing career with the side and managed to guide them to a third-place finish last term.

On Wednesday night Bayer Leverkusen take on the might of Paris Saint Germain in the first leg of a last-16 encounter that will undoubtedly prove one of the trickiest hurdles that the German club has had to face in the Champions League for some time. 

To make matters worse, Sami Hyypia's side were dealt a bitter blow in the Bundesliga this weekend when an in-form Schalke side traveled to Leverkusen and overturned the home side by two goals to one. They inflicted the third loss in Bayer's last five games in the league and blew the race for second place wide open. 

In such poor form and lowly spirits, it will take something of a master class performance from the German side if they intend to take anything from this game. Especially from one player in particular: Sidney Sam. 

He's ready to fight 

Undoubtedly, the first thing that Sam will have to his advantage is that he'll be much fresher than most of his teammates on Wednesday night. The German forward was "rested" on Saturday evening whilst his side played Schalke, due to the fact that the player has already agreed a pre-contract with the Royal Blues. Hyypia didn't want to complicate or test the player's loyalties so he chose to essentially cut him from the side. 

Leverkusen went on to lose that game—one that they most definitely had to win—and will undoubtedly turn to their rested forward for not only guidance but retribution for the remainder of the season. Sam has some making up to do. 

Of course, the ambitious 26-year-old will need little incentive on Tuesday night when the might of Paris Saint Germain comes to the BayArena. For amongst Leverkusen's strong squad he is the key man to step up when the stakes are so high. 

For the old Factory Squad, the means of battling against the bigger teams throughout Germany usually leads to situations in which victories over the other big four clubs go a long way to cementing their place in the Bundesliga. 

Sam's goals in such games have been invaluable. This season alone he has scored some of his seven goals in the Bundesliga against sides such as Gladbach, Wolfsburg, Hannover and, perhaps most importantly, Bayern Munich. The very side that are hoping to retain this European Cup. 

Of course, the wide-forward has only scored one goal in four games in this season's Champions League, yet for Hyypia the tactic will surely remain the same as always: Get the ball to Sam and let him work his magic when it's needed most. 

Leverkusen win with Sam

Such a simplistic view of Sam's importance to Leverkusen's hopes may seem slightly exaggerated, but when we look at the loss ratio of the team in the Bundesliga when the German forward is either banned or out injured, the story speaks for itself. 

This season Leverkusen have lost just two games out of 15 Bundesliga matches in which Sam either started or took part in at some point. This gives a ratio of around 0.13 or essentially one loss to every seven games. 

With the right-winger out of the side, the figure drops significantly. Hyypia's side have been fortunate that Sam's recurring injuries haven't taken their usual toll this season, but the player has missed six Bundesliga games throughout the campaign. Of these games Bayer lost four, pushing their loss ratio up to a staggering 0.66.

This naturally means that of all the games Leverkusen lost in the Bundesliga this season, Sam was unavailable in 66 percent of those. A figure that will definitely dispel notions of any coincidences regarding this player's impact on the side. If Sam is in the team Leverkusen are statistically less likely to lose. 

He can hit PSG's weak spot

On a more practical level there is also the simple fact that Sam is likely to come up against 32-year-old Maxwell on Tuesday night (PSG's left-back and undoubtedly the French side's Achilles' heel). 

Although the Brazilian defender has had a relatively decent season for the Parisians this year, as the club simply walk to another Ligue 1 title, it's all too apparent that he enjoys living up to stereotypes with his total disregard for keeping an eye on his rear as he gallops up the park. 

Now Hyypia, for all his pragmatic and tactical intelligence, will be expecting Sam's main priority to be the defensive cover for such runs and ensuring that the Brazilian isn't given space or time to swing deep balls in to the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Yet he also expects his vital right-winger to keep Maxwell busy in a very literal sense, by constantly bombarding the full-back with marauding runs of his own and putting in crosses for Leverkusen's own towering striker, Stefan Kiessling. 

Sam may be a free-scoring midfielder, but he also has the highest assists record in the squad this season (with a grand total of seven) and will be expected to provide just as many chances as he takes on his own. With the limited Maxwell on his toes, this may be Leverkusen's best chance at creating goals against this powerful PSG side. 

All stats were provided by transfermark.co.uk

If there is going to be one surprise upset in the Champions League Last 16 this season it might very well be Bayer Leverkusen ousting French champions Paris-Saint Germain when the two sides meet in the first of two legs this week.

Their recent form may not suggest as much, but Leverkusen are out to prove a point in Europe. With their big budget and star names, Paris-Saint Germain will no doubt be favorites, but Sami Hyypia ‘s Leverkusen are every bit capable of springing a surprise on Laurent Blanc and his troop of top earners.

If Leverkusen refocus, play to their potential and utilize their impressive counter-attacking game, they could knock out a team whose market value is more than twice theirs. Can the team that is no stranger to European upsets make history once more?

 

Recent Form Not a Worry

On Wednesday, Leverkusen were knocked out of the German Cup by second-division side Kaiserslautern.  Four days later they lost their fifth match in seven against Schalke. Nevertheless, their form since the league restart in January has merely been a blip in an otherwise impressive season.

In fact, Leverkusen had one of their best ever league starts in club history. Never before in the Bundesliga have they won 14 games after 21 matchdays. Leverkusen also set a new points record when they beat Borussia Dortmund in December and have the best defense in Germany after Bayern Munich.

And their Champions League campaign so far is nothing to scoff at either. In a group with the seasoned Manchester United and Shakhtar Donetsk as well as the previous year’s surprise package Real Sociedad, Leverkusen qualified with impressive performances against the Ukrainian champions and the Spanish outfit. Their two defeats against Manchester United were more a sign of the team’s inexperience rather than a lack of quality.

 

History On Their Side

Leverkusen overcame the odds before, and can certainly do it again. When they last reached the quarterfinals of the competition back in 2002, few expected them to get there as well. That season they overcame the likes of Juventus, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United on their way to the final. In what still remains one of the most remarkable European runs in history, Leverkusen defied the odds at every stage when least expected.

Fourteen years earlier, Leverkusen pulled off an even more remarkable achievement when they won the UEFA Cup. Only a couple of years after establishing themselves in the Bundesliga, the team that just barely qualified for Europe they knocked out Barcelona and then favorites Werder Bremen to reach the final.

In the first leg of the final they lost 3-0 to spanish side Espanyol. Just when it all seemed over, Leverkusen won the return leg by the same scoreline before eventually coming out on top in penalties.

Furthermore, Leverkusen’s record against French teams in Europe is quite favorable. In fact, their record in two-legged ties is flawless. They have only lost one of six home games against French opposition. Overall they have lost only three of 11 matches against teams from France. PSG on the other hand have only ever won one two-legged tie against Bundesliga opposition, back in the 2008-09 season.

 

What They Need To Do

So just how can Leverkusen pull of this upset?

For one, they have to regain the defensive composure and discipline that has gotten them where they are this season. Bernd Leno, who has been the Bundesliga’s standout goalkeeper so far this season, will need reinforcement from Omer Toprak and Emir Spahic in front of him. The two central defenders were in great form earlier this season and need to rediscover their chemistry to keep out the likes of Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Because PSG have so many potent attacking options, Leverkusen will likely see less of the ball. As such, they must be sharp in possession and utilize the space well on the counter. Last season Leverkusen were arguably the best counter-attacking side in the Bundesliga and with players like Heung-Min Son and Sidney Sam they have two of the quickest players in Europe at their disposal. Supply and support them and they can get behind PSG’s defenders and score.

Finally, if Leverkusen are to advance, they must think and perform like a big team. Much has been said about the team’s inability to step up when it matters most. Recent performances hinted that the occasion may simply have been too much for them.

However, the time is ripe for the team to take the step to the next level and prove that they are no longer just a sporadic, but an enduring and formidable European presence. Players like Simon Rolfes, Stefan Kiessling, Gonzalo Castro are at their peak while Son, Sam and Lars Bender are hungry for success.  

Hyypia has fine-tuned his team for nearly two years now, and they have enough experience behind them to make the step up. The clash against PSG can be a defining moment for Leverkusen if the team is ready to accept and rise to the occasion.

It has been five years since Bayer Leverkusen last made the German Cup final, then losing 1-0 to a Werder Bremen team inspired by Mesut Özil.  Even more striking, it has been 21 years since they last lifted the Cup. That was back in 1993 when they beat Hertha Berlin.

Despite that drought, though, this season may present Leverkusen with the best opportunity to add a second Cup to their trophy cabinet.  With Sami Hyypia’s team flying high, Bayern Munich focused on defending their Champions League title and Borussia Dortmund’s fluctuation form, Leverkusen could well be the best-positioned team to lift the trophy in Berlin come May.

 

Form Counts

If there is one truism in German football or as far as the Cup is concerned, is that form counts almost more than anything come the big final.  Barring a few isolated incidents, the more in-form side has almost always come out on top in the end. One would have to go back to 1992 for the last real upset, when 2. Bundesliga side Hannover 96 beat Borussia Monchengladbach in the final.

As Leverkusen welcome Kaiserslautern in the quarterfinal, in their first home match in the Cup in 11 years, there are few sides more in form than Sami Hyypia’s side.  The team had their best start to a league season in 12 years, and 20 matches in, they already have 14 wins recorded, a historic club-high.

More importantly, Leverkusen’s key players are all hitting their stride.  Heung-Min Son, who scored the match-winner at the weekend against Borussia Monchengladbach, is in his best spell at the club and is finally playing the kind of football that made him such a desirable player at Hamburg. In the last 13 games in which Son has scored, none of his teams have lost.

What’s more, Sidney Sam, who was Leverkusen’s most important player before injury in November, recorded his seventh assist of the season against Gladbach, a personal best for him in his career.  Having him back could quite possibly be a difference-maker for the club. Leverkusen have only lost two of the 22 games he has featured in this season in all competitions.  Simply put, when Sam plays, Leverkusen rarely lose.

Finally, Stefan Kiessling is having another impressive season with 14 goals in all competitions.  He is one goal away from overtaking Lothar Matthaus and Miroslav Klose in the Bundesliga’s all-time goal-scoring charts. Suffice to say, their attack has rounded into form at the exact right time. The attacking trio of Son, Kiessling and Sam have been responsible for 70 percent of their goals in the league this season and are firing on all cylinders.

Bayer vs Bayern

If Leverkusen are to go all the way and win the German Cup, the biggest hurdle will undoubtedly be overcoming defending champions Bayern Munich.  Whether it is in the semifinals or the final, Leverkusen will have to beat Germany’s record champions and 16-time winners of the trophy to come out victorious.

What works in Leverkusen’s favor, though, is the fact that their form has been quite good against Bayern as of late.  Last season they were the only team to beat Bayern in the league as they swept their opponents aside on the way to the title.  And this season, Leverkusen, along with Freiburg, are the only team to have taken points off Bayern in the league.

Leverkusen’s form against Bayern is no coincidence either.  Hyypia’s counter-attacking style is ready-made to counteract Pep Guardiola’s possession-based system.  Bayern under Pep have been most vulnerable when facing sides that move the ball quickly between attack and defense and no side does this better in Germany than Leverkusen.

Circumstances Favor Leverkusen

What may help Leverkusen above all is the fact that Bayern and Borussia Dortmund will likely shift their focus towards their Champions League campaigns. The pressure on Bayern and Dortmund to advance to the quarterfinals will be infinitely bigger, having made the final last season, than on a Leverkusen whose group-stage campaign is already seen as successful.

Of course, Leverkusen need to first beat Kaiserslautern to even face the likes of Bayern or Dortmund, but history certainly favors Die Werkself.  Although Kaiserslautern knocked Leverkusen out of the Cup in 2009, you have to go back 11 years for the last time they beat Leverkusen in the league.

Bayern have beaten Leverkusen only three times in their last nine competitive meetings in all competitions. That is not assuming Leverkusen is guaranteed an automatic place in the semifinals. Instead, it suggests a formidable record against Germany’s best side and is symbolic of the tremendous growth and development at the club in recent years.

Although Bayern and Dortmund have rightfully shared the German football spotlight, Leverkusen’s development in the last three years has been just as impressive. They have become a European regular, have a record-breaking season in the league, and arguably the best-performing side against a Bayern team destined to go down as German football’s greatest.

Bayer Leverkusen signing Andres Guardado on loan from Valencia—according to the official club website—is a transfer steal, so here is a scouting report on the 27-year-old Mexican international.

Guardado's Playing Style

Guardado used to be one of the most feared wingers in La Liga for Deportivo La Coruna, and he once created two goals during a 2-1 win over Real Madrid in 2008. 

If presented the opportunity, Guardado can still whip in incisive crosses, as Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and Ricardo Costa will attest to (both have been beneficiaries of Guardado crosses in recent memory).

Leverkusen's 6'3" centre-forward, Stefan Kiessling, will be an aerial target for Guardado. 

That said, Guardado has been a pure left-back under current manager Juan Antonio Pizzi and former Valencia manager Miroslav Djukic this season. 

There is a clear difference in playing style between Valencia's two left-backs: Guardado and Juan Bernat.

The latter is cavalier-like racing up-field, while Guardado is more reserved in his approach, hence why he averages 0.3 shots and 0.8 chances created per league game.

This shows you how disciplined he is given he operates in a more attack-minded role for Mexico.

What was Leverkusen's No. 1 transfer need heading into this window? Left-back. 

Left-Back Need Finally Addressed 

Leverkusen are second in the Bundesliga table behind Bayern Munich and have conceded the second least amount of league goals, but instead of resting on their laurels, the Werkself have answered their problems at left-back by signing Guardado.

Sebastian Boenisch, a burly 6'3" Polish international, has started 13 league games this season, but has been the weak link in manager Sami Hyypia's back four.

Boenisch is the worst rated Leverkusen player, per Bild (in German), and he often forgets the "back" in left-back.

During Leverkusen's 4-2 defeat to Manchester United, Antonio Valencia exploited his advantageous matchup against Boenisch, scoring and creating a goal.

Going forward, whenever Boenisch is within sight of the goal, he seems to think he is Robert Lewandowski, though the 22 percent shooting accuracy would suggest otherwise.

Hyypia has even gone to the lengths of playing former Bayern Munich midfielder Emre Can out of position at left-back as an alternative to Boenisch. 

Aside from it being weird seeing a left-back wear the No. 10 shirt, Can should be dictating the tempo of play, not marking right-sided wingers. His future lies in midfield as opposed to left-back. 

Here are three lessons learned from Guardado's arrival at Leverkusen:

• It is an indictment on Boenisch's performances this season.
• Can's duties of filling in at left-back are over. 
• Konstantinos Stafylidis, a 20-year-old Greek international left-back, who has yet to start a league game this season, should call up his agent and force a move away from the club. Clearly he is not rated by Leverkusen management. 

Guardado is a smart acquisition from Leverkusen management, and there is so much to like about this signing:

• He addresses their weakness at left-back. 
• It is a loan deal, so if he flops, Leverkusen can dump him. 
• Yet if he succeeds, Leverkusen can exercise a clause in his deal to buy him, per the Leverkusen club website: "Bayer 04 have the option to buy Guardado."
  
• When Guardado played as a winger at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, the technical study group pinpointed him as one of Mexico's key players, per FIFA TSG: "Hard-working midfielder with good range of passes; skillful and very energetic."
• Therefore he is a high-quality option as a left-forward if Heung-Min Son suffers an injury.
• Guardado brings vast experience having played 99 international games for Mexico. 

Guardado will be a transfer steal should he develop into one of the best left-backs in the league. 

@allanjianga

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Statistics via WhoScored, FFT Stats Zone, Squawka and Transfermarkt.

Kevin De Bruyne is a player who now finds himself in a very peculiar situation. To some he's a prized jewel within a Chelsea setup that finally has its returned king, Jose Mourinho, back in charge. Yet to others he's no more than excess skill in a side jam-packed with abundant talent. 

As such, the news that the young Belgian may be on his way back to the German Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen interested in a deal this January, as Kicker reported on Thursday, comes with mixed feelings. Chelsea may be losing a young, unused talent and Leverkusen could well be gaining a game-changing star.  

According to the article in the German twice-weekly magazine, Chelsea would be willing to part with the player for a full transfer of around €15 million or an 18-month loan move with an option to buy at the end of the deal. Such a move is also reported to go through in next month's transfer window. 

For a club like Leverkusen, who currently sit second in the Bundesliga with a tricky last 16 tie in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain on the horizon, a player like De Bruyne offers a number of advantages. 

For a start, he's exactly what Leverkusen need.

As we saw against Eintracht Frankfurt last Sunday—in which Sami Hyypia's side succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at home—the high-flying life of a top German and European side is beginning to take its toll on this team, and a player like De Bruyne, who can play across the midfield, sounds incredibly valuable. 

The initial thought of where such a player would fit into the side is obviously on one of the wings, where he would partner Heung-Min Son behind Stefan Kiessling. Yet De Bruyne's best position is through the middle of the park, and that is where he could potentially be more useful for Leverkusen. 

The Factory Squad already have an excellent front line—when Sidney Sam is fit—yet the quality takes a significant nosedive when we get to the midfield trio of Lars Bender, Stefan Reinartz and Gonzalo Castro.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EoG5s49jTI

Among these players, Bender is arguably the only one capable of carrying a top-four side in the Bundesliga, and it's beside the German international at the expense of either Castro or Reinartz, that De Bruyne could truly revitalise this Leverkusen side after the winter break. 

Of course, the most appealing factor of a De Bruyne acquisition is the fact that he has quite an outstanding record in the Bundesliga within his relatively short career. 

Werder Bremen is where the youngster made a name for himself last season, scoring 10 goals and nine assists in just 33 league games, as he dragged the side from the clutches of relegation with just three points to spare. Yet while Bremen stumbled through the postseason licking their wounds, De Bruyne returned to London with a whole host of potential suitors fighting for his name. 

Dortmund looked as though they were at the front of the queue, with Leverkusen in close pursuit; yet when Mourinho finally announced that he had plans for the midfielder, all bets were off. 

Aside from his unquestionable talent, the most apparent commodity that the young playmaker has in abundance is his incredible self-belief. It's what made him stand out in Belgium as a 20-year-old at Genk, it's what enabled him to take control of that Bremen side despite just arriving in the summer and it's what told him to return to Chelsea and fight for a spot in that starting 11. 

Yet as we approach the halfway point in the season, De Bruyne's chances at the Premier League side number at just six, and with every passing week that January transfer window looks more and more appealing for a player who clearly has plenty to offer any side. 

As the revealing Kicker article headlined today, "Bayer and de Bruyne in the final phase of Poker."

A bet that Leverkusen look desperate to make, and a risk that this young star may have to take if he wants to continue his rise to stardom.  

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Bayer Leverkusen's 21-year-old goalkeeper Bernd Leno is a world-class shot-stopper, but will he rise and fall like Joe Hart did at Manchester City? 

"The lad [Leno] is one of the best keepers in Germany as he proves week after week," Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller said, via Sky Sports.

Before Leno broke out at Leverkusen, he had an uncertain future at Stuttgart.

During the 2009-10 season, Leno made the jump from the U-19s to the Stuttgart II team, playing 17 third-division games.

There was light at the end of the tunnel for Leno with Stuttgart's starting goalkeeper Jens Lehmann fighting off Father Time.

When Lehmann retired (he would later come out of retirement for Arsenal), a successor was announced, but his name wasn't Bernd Leno. It was Sven Ulreich.

Helmut Roleder (1972-86), Eike Immel (1986-95) and Timo Hildebrand (1999-2007) all had lengthy tenures in goal at Stuttgart.

So, you can understand why management were steadfast in their belief that an uber prospect in Ulreich was to be given leeway to make mistakes. 

This meant Leno's development had stagnated as he was a top-tier talent playing third-division football. 

Leverkusen made a desperate emergency loan for Leno when they had no options in goals. 

No. 1 Rene Adler was recuperating from knee surgery. Backup keeper Fabian Giefer was out with a concussion after colliding with Mainz's Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting. Third-choice goalie David Yelldell not only conceded four goals to Bundesliga team Dynamo Dresden in an league cup loss, but he was not fully fit.

"We are happy to have found a quality new signing in Bernd Leno at such a short notice," Voller said, via UEFA.com. "We are sure that with his help we will be able to reach our goals this season."

In his third Bundesliga game, Leno denied Sven Bender, Shinji Kagawa, Lukasz Piszczek and Ivan Perisic as Leverkusen drew 0-0 against Borussia Dortmund. 

Two months later, Leno outperformed Borussia Monchengladbach's Marc-Andre ter Stegen, making six saves (four more than Ter Stegen).

Those saves kept 10-man Leverkusen, down 2-1, in the game. Andre Schurrle would score an 87th-minute equaliser to salvage a point. 

Leno played 33 league games and 41 club games in total that season. 

Kicker was so impressed with Leno's debut season that he was ranked the Bundesliga's best keeper. 

Player	Team
1. Bernd Leno	Bayer Leverkusen
2. Ron-Robert Zieler	Hannover 96
3. Sven Ulreich	Stuttgart
4. Roman Weidenfeller	Borussia Dortmund
5. Diego Benaglio	Wolfsburg

Since February, he has stopped four penalties and made countless reflex saves, but there is a glaring red flag in his makeup: He is Hart-like in having clangers. 

There is no in-between. 

It's either world-class saves or amateur hour. 

Going into the highly anticipated Euro U-21 game against the Netherlands, Leno's positioning was all over the place.

He looked aloof as there were routine communication breakdowns with his centre-backs Stefan Thesker and Matthias Ginter.

Leno was at fault for Adam Maher and Georginio Wijnaldum scoring for the Dutch. 

It was as if Leno wanted no more.

In a 4-2 defeat to Manchester United, he conceded four goals from five shots, despite making four saves in a 3-1 win over Wolfsburg three days earlier. 

Looking back, he exhibited the same negative body language when Lionel Messi scored five times in a 7-1 win for Barcelona. 

"The more goals Messi scored, the more Leno seemed to buckle under the psychological battle between striker and goalkeeper but in all honesty, can we blame him for doing so?" wrote Jonathan Harding at IBWM. 

Then, there was the game against Valencia where Leno's miscued clearance led to Jonas scoring after 10 seconds.

To throw a red herring in, Leno made nine saves when Leverkusen pulled a "Chelsea" by holding on for dear life in a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich.

Bayern completed 90 percent of their passes, held 78 percent of possession, took 27 shots and had six shots blocked.

Leno did not shy away from the big occasion on that day, and this is how he should play every week. 

If he doesn't, he will suffer a similar demise to Hart, per Daniel Taylor at The Guardian: 

There is, however, a good reason why all the scrutiny has been on Hart since Manchester City's defeat at Chelsea and it is not solely because his mistake, coming in the last seconds, was the decisive one. It is the deja vu that accompanies it, the sense of it being another one to heap on to the list, and the wonderment that there always is in sport when someone who once excelled has started to unravel publicly.

In hindsight, Hart was afforded the benefit of the doubt because you knew of his pedigree.

Now that he has become the Titus Bramble of goalies, it's open season, and everyone in the media is jumping on him after holding back the criticism for so long. 

This is why you need to be cautious of not overhyping Leno.

The goalkeeping situation in Germany is fascinating because it's not just Leno.

There are so many young goalkeepers with a high ceiling playing in the Bundesliga. 

For comparison's sake, the same can't be said about England where there is no English keeper 25 years old or younger who is in the top five for saves made or save percentage. 

England's best goalie, 25-year-old Fraser Forster of Celtic, is playing in the 23rd ranked European league, according to UEFA coefficients. 

Back in Germany, Freiburg's 23-year-old Oliver Baumann could have been elevated into Joachim Loew's squad, if not for three mistakes in 37 minutes against Hamburg a few weeks ago.

Hannover 96's Ron-Robert Zieler, 24, who was found out in games against Ukraine (conceded three goals in 17 minutes) and Argentina (got sent off), has been dropped from Loew's latest German squad, per Thomas Zocher at Sky Sports.

Leno's upside is similar to Ter Stegen (Gladbach, 21), Ulreich (Stuttgart, 25) and Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt, 23), but it remains to be seen if Leno can eradicate his "Jekyll and Hyde" approach to keeping, which may lead to him becoming the German Joe Hart. 

Statistics via WhoScored, FFT Stats Zone, Squawka and Transfermarkt.
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