Quote from: red4slash on January 30, 2024, 09:44:23 PM

Quote from: temple on January 30, 2024, 08:46:55 PM

Bayer Leverkusen won't underestimate this game for sure, but I like your warning because Darmstadt recently tied their game against Frankfurt at home and I think if they can tie a game against Frankfurt, they can do it with a little bit of luck against any team. And it shouldn't be forgotten that only in last game Leverkusen couldn't manage to score a winning goal against Gladbach at home. So it's always right to plan to go all out instead of looking at the table thinking that this should be one of the easier games. It is the easier games that can break Leverkusen the neck as much as any other game in the fight for the title.

It would be very careless if Leverkusen considered this match to be easy and underestimated the opponent because after all, even though in terms of the quality of players and experience they are far superior to Darmstadt, which in fact is a promoted club but making as if this is an easy match could backfire on Leverkusen itself.

This match must be won especially by looking at the schedule that will be faced now by Leverkusen this match as an opener for 2 matches that are quite heavy in the next 2 matches because they will face VFB who gave a good surprise this season in the quarter-finals and of course Bayern who are ready to wait in the continued bundesliga so that victory must be a fixed price in this match for Leverkusen in order to give a burst of enthusiasm to face their 2 big matches.

Oh for sure, but this is one of the highest disciplines a team can develop especially with the help of a psychologically skilled coach. It's somewhat natural to view opponents differently. It's a thing that the brain does with people. If there is a baby lion and a lion that is a bit bigger, we would have different expectations from the harm they could inflict on us, but a lion is a lion and that should be respected. I know it is not the perfect analogy, but the thing is that giving the best possible in a game should be a core principle no matter what the name of the opponent is and I think this is something where Xabi Alonso's skill comes into play. I have always perceived him as a player who took his opponents seriously regardless of their names. But the tension I believe is different when there is a huge team waiting on the other side compared to less popular players.