Hannover 96 vs Bayer Leverkusen preview - Schmidt expects tough match

Two points separate Hannover and Bayer Leverkusen going into their clash at the Niedersachsenstadion this Saturday, but their respective form could hardly be more contrasting.

While the Reds have won their last three games in a row to move up to fourth in the table, Leverkusen have picked up only one win from their last six encounters, dropping to sixth as a result.

"We've got a tough game right away in Hanover," said Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt. "But we've made the most of the last two weeks training and I'm very optimistic we can get something in Hanover."

The break for internationals may have deprived Schmidt of the likes of Heung-Min Son, Karim Bellarabi, Robbie Kruse and Josip Drmic, but it has given Simon Rolfes and Gonzalo Castro the chance to recover from their injuries.

That also gives Schmidt more options for the midweek Champions League tie with Monaco.

"Gonzo and Simon have spent the entire two weeks training with the team and they've both made very good impressions," said Schmidt.

"It's very important to have them both back because with the likes of Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Stefan Reinartz out for a long time, we've had a few problems and often had to improvise.

"It's been a good two weeks as we've been able to work on our game in the final third, working in particular on how we can create chances better.

"We want to get some good results between now and the winter break, both in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League, where we certainly want to cement our first place."

Hannover are not going to be resting on their laurels, though, with their coach Tayfun Korkut keen to carry on from where they left off before the break with a 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin.

"My team's not been taking it easy these past few weeks - quite the opposite," he said. "They've been very focused and determined in training."

Korkut has also benefited from the break with Lars Stindl now back in full training and an option for Saturday, although the Turkish coach may prefer not to change a winning team just to permit his captain to return.

"I still don't know who is going to play," Korkut said. "Lars has a lot of quality and is a lead figure as our captain, but it also depends on who he has around him."