Leverkusen and Bayern will have to do without players in January. The Africa Cup and Asian Cup could influence the title race.
Missing from the title race: Bayer’s goalgetter Victor Boniface (l.) and Bayern defender Min-Jae Kim. IMAGO/Xinhua
The two tournaments are about as surprising as Christmas. The Africa Cup (January 13th to February 11th) and the Asian Cup (January 12th to February 10th) have long been scheduled, and it was already clear to club officials in the summer which players this would affect and how it would affect the squad will impact. While FC Bayern will therefore react in January, Bayer Leverkusen has taken precautions. The staff shortages don’t cause Simon Rolfes any sleepless nights. “We prepared for this situation in the summer and have a broad squad that has double staff in all positions – with many players who can be used in several positions,” explains the managing director, who is still “anything but” with the appointment happy”.
In the worst case scenario, Bayer 04 will have to do without five professionals from the 17th up to and including the 21st matchday, when Bayern Munich plays the top game in Leverkusen. No Bundesliga team is more affected. The fact that there are three top performers, the two central defenders Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso) and Odilon Kossounou (Ivory Coast) as well as the center forward Victor Boniface (Nigeria), worsens the situation.
Bayer break away two thirds of the three-man chain
Bayer break away two thirds of the three-man chain. Piero Hincapie and Josip Stanisic, an Ecuadorian and a Croatian World Cup participant, would have to compensate for their loss as defense chief Jonathan Tah’s companions. Certainly not a weak defensive block. In an emergency, six and new national player Robert Andrich could also move in as a “libero”. An already proven variant. Bayer sees four proven candidates as sufficient for a phase of the season in which there will probably only be an English week due to the DFB Cup quarter-finals (January 30th/31st and February 6th/7th).
As in the storm: Without the participants in the Africa Cup, the line-up would be Florian Wirtz, Patrik Schick, Jonas Hofmann – not a poor trio and one that most Bundesliga coaches dream of. But for Schick, who was almost without any match practice for a year due to adductor problems, there is a question mark over his form and fitness. Czech national player Adam Hlozek would remain a trained alternative, already deployed in all three positions. In addition, “Arthur and Jeremie Frimpong can also play in the wide positions in the 4-3-3,” says Rolfes, referring to the two strong dribbling players who can cushion the absence of Amine Adli (Morocco) and Nathan Tella (Nigeria).
If the bottleneck at the front or rear becomes worse due to failures, winter access is not categorically ruled out. “There is still an opportunity to react in January,” says Rolfes, referring to the tournament schedule, the round of 16 of which will be played at the end of the month. Then one or two Bayer professionals could be eliminated. In addition, due to the tournament tree, returnees could be determined after the round of 16 or quarter-finals in an internal club duel.
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If the quintet survives the quarter-finals, they will also miss the summit against Bayern on the second weekend in February, as third place is also being played at the Africa Cup. But even then, Rolfes would see his team prepared for the Grand without a five, as Leverkusen, unlike its championship rivals, is well positioned at the top and across the board. In Munich, however, the thin squad has been noticeable for weeks. Leon Goretzka, for example, temporarily serves as a substitute central defender because there are only three trained central defenders in the squad and one of them, Matthijs de Ligt, is out due to a knee injury.
There is also the occasional need to experiment on the defensive flanks. There is no classic back-up for Alphonso Davies at left back – Raphael Guerreiro is not necessarily intended for this in the back four – so Noussair Mazraoui, actually on the right, sometimes has to step in, while Konrad Laimer plays on his side. Or in extreme emergencies, Bouna Sarr at the end. However, the Senegalese player tore his cruciate ligament during training last week and will be out for months and will therefore also miss the Africa Cup of Nations.
Bayern loses two of its already few defenders
When the continental tournaments take place in January, FCB will lose two of its already few defenders: Mazraoui (Morocco) and Min-Jae Kim (South Korea). It is therefore clear: the master must and will step up in the winter. Logically, priority is given to a central defender and a right-back or a professional who can be used in both positions in order to at least fill these gaps. Knowing full well that the market in January is not an easy one and that not only the Bundesliga is affected by the tournaments. Transfer planning and preparations are in full swing for the Munich team. Sports director Christoph Freund and coach Thomas Tuchel talk about this almost every day and are aware of the influence of the two tournaments. Both should be confident that they can sign the players they want.
In addition to two defenders, Bayern are also hoping for a defensive six to relieve the midfield center with Goretzka, Laimer (both of whom are also needed in other positions) and Joshua Kimmich. There is money available for this, and the supervisory board has fundamentally approved possible transfers. However, the decision-makers must convince the control committee with names that guarantee immediate aid. Loan transactions are not ruled out, because when it comes to new signings, the focus is also on the Champions League project. So far, Bayern have proven, apart from the cup exit in Saarbrücken (1:2), that they work despite the small squad. It won’t be a big change for Tuchel and his team if three players are missing for the two continental tournaments. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Cameroon) does not play a major role – and an adequate replacement should be brought in for Kim and Mazraoui.
In contrast to Leverkusen, Munich does not have to do without any different players
In contrast to Leverkusen, which has to replace three top performers, Bayern are not losing any exceptional professionals. The difference players like Manuel Neuer on one side of the field and Harry Kane on the other, or Leroy Sané, who has been outstanding this season, are all there. In addition, de Ligt should be fit again by the new year at the latest and make his comeback. There will then be two to three new additions, which will offer the Munich team more options for the entire second half of the season. So watch out: the record champions are preparing!
It is also clear to the people of Munich that these two tournaments could potentially tip the scales in the title race and thus become the A-factor in the fight for the trophy. Especially since experience shows that national players from Asia and Africa often return to the club weakened (and in the worst case injured). What would be much more difficult to compensate for Leverkusen than for Bayern.
2023-12-06 08:10:36
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