SOCCER-LEVERKUSEN/COLOGNE Leverkusen and Cologne prepare for Bundesliga match

Record ID: 256628

  • Title: SOCCER-LEVERKUSEN/COLOGNE Leverkusen and Cologne prepare for Bundesliga match
  • Date: 28th November 2014
  • Summary: LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY (NOVEMBER 28, 2014) (REUTERS) BAYER LEVERKUSEN PLAYERS ON SIDE OF PITCH PLAYERS PASSING THE BALL VARIOUS OF PLAYERS WARMING UP ON PITCH FOOTBALLS ON PITCH PLAYERS WARMING UP AND STRETCHING EXTERIOR OF STADIUM LEVERKUSEN COACH, ROGER SCHMIDT, ARRIVING TO TABLE AND SITTING AHEAD OF NEWS CONFERENCE WOMAN WORKING AT COMPUTER SCHMIDT SPEAKING
  • Embargoed: 13th December 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVADSJU6F0J6SBE6P43318OBVHM7
  • Story Text: Bayer Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt said on Friday (November 28) his team should aim "to do immediately well again" when they take on Cologne in the Rhine derby.
    Bayer Leverkusen, fourth on 20 points alongside third-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach, will face 1. FC Cologne on Saturday (November 29).
    The Germans were defeated on Wednesday (November 26) when Monaco scored one late goal against the run of play from substitute Lucas Ocampos to revive their Champions League qualifying hopes.
    Leverkusen, who have now lost twice to Monaco, had already qualified for the Round of 16 without kicking a ball after Zenit St Petersburg beat Benfica 1-0 earlier.
    The Germans were eager to top the group to make sure they avoided the many European heavyweights in the knockout stage.
    Instead the result left them top on nine points with Monaco on eight and Zenit on seven going into the last matchday, when Monaco play the Russians and need only a draw to go through.
    Schmidt said he hoped favourable conditions in Saturday's Bundesliga match against Cologne, would result in a high quality game.
    "When you have a game such as this one against 1.FC Cologne, just a few kilometres away, all the better. I think it's important, after the game on Wednesday, to do immediately well again and if the conditions are a sold-out stadium and a very good atmosphere, with two teams that will surely try to do everything for their fans, then we have a wonderful soccer game and we are looking forward to it," Schmidt told at a news conference.
    FC Cologne coach Peter Stoeger, also said he hoped for a favourable game.
    "For the team too, this is a special game and it's much talked about which consequences a positive outcome could have because we also know that it's something extraordinary for our fans, a very important game," Stoeger adding: "I find that Leverkusen is a team which one day will be found in the Champions League again."
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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