Bayer Leverkusen vs SL Benfica preview - Time for Bayer to deliver - Schmidt

Posted Tuesday, September 30, 2014 by PA

Bayer Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt has told his team it is time to start winning as they prepare to face Benfica in their second Champions League group game on Wednesday night.

Both sides were beaten on the first matchday, Leverkusen losing 1-0 at Monaco and the Portuguese side going down 2-0 at home to Zenit St Petersburg.

Another defeat would leave either team with a mountain to climb if they want to progress in the competition this season, and that is something Schmidt is keen to avoid.

"We want to put ourselves into a decent position going into the coming games and, if we do get three points, then that would leave everything open for us," he said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"Not only do we want to play well, but we also want to win."

Following the unexpected results a fortnight ago, Group C has every chance of being one of the tightest groups in the competition.

Zenit, who qualified with a record low points tally of only six last term, are Leverkusen's opponents home and away in their next two matches, and Schmidt does not want his side to be left needing to beating the Russian Premier League leaders to have any chance of surviving.

"You only get six games in the group stage, so it's high time we started to win," he said.

"We've got to stick to our usual game and impose it on them. Then, I'm sure we have a chance."

Schmidt is still without Gonzalo Castro, who picked up a knee injury prior to Leverkusen's trip to Freiburg at the weekend, while Sebastian Boenisch is a doubt.

Last season's Europa League runners-up Benfica arrive with a doubt over who will start in goal on Wednesday night.

Brazil international Julio Cesar is struggling with the muscular injury which sidelined him for the 3-2 win over Estoril at the weekend - a result which kept the Eagles at the top of the Portuguese league.

With Artur suspended and Paulo Lopes injured, coach Jorge Jesus has called up 19-year-old Bruno Varela for the trip to Germany, and he could be thrust into his professional debut at the BayArena in arguably his side's most important match of the season.