Bayer Leverkusen vs Wolfsburg preview - Schurrle excited by BayArena return

Posted Friday, February 13, 2015 by PA

Andre Schurrle steps foot back in the BayArena for the first time since 2013 this weekend, but he will do so as an opposition player as his new club Wolfsburg take on his former employers Bayer Leverkusen.

The Germany midfielder shone on his debut for Wolfsburg last weekend following his winter arrival from Chelsea, helping them keep up the chase of Bayern Munich at the top of the table thanks to a 3-0 win over Hoffenheim.

His first away game for the Wolves comes at the venue where he played two seasons, making a name for himself and earning a move to the Premier League with 23 goals in 83 games.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the lads again," Schurrle said on the German Football Association's website. "I had a great time there.

"I'm at Wolfsburg now and we desperately want three points. It's going to be a tough game because Bayer are a top team."

So too are Wolfsburg, who have a nine-point advantage over sixth-placed Leverkusen in the current standings and know that a win would go a long way towards securing their place in the Champions League next season, while also keeping them in the hunt for the title.

Wolfsburg are eight points behind pacesetters Bayern going into the weekend.

"This is a highly interesting game for us," said Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking. "It's what makes the soup tasty - I can't wait for it."

It is an equally interesting game for Leverkusen, who have slumped to sixth since the winter break with just four points from their first three games of the new year.

Their place in the Champions League next season is anything but secure, which is why they can no longer afford to drop points, especially not against their closest rivals at the top.

They now have two of those in a row with a trip to fourth-placed Augsburg next weekend before hosting Atletico Madrid in the last 16 of this year's Champions League.

These therefore promise to be two decisive weeks for the Werkself, who will be without the suspended Omer Toprak and Wendell on Saturday, just to complicate things further for coach Roger Schmidt, who has had Claudio Ranieri as a guest at training this week.