Bayer Leverkusen vs Monchengladbach - Leverkusen and Gladbach seek a lift after Champions League exits

Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach will be bidding to rebound from a disappointing week in Europe when they meet in the Bundesliga on Saturday evening.

Leverkusen may have had the consolation of a place in the last 32 of the Europa League for failing to beat Champions League holders Barcelona in their final group game at the BayArena, but the fact a win would have seen them stay in the Champions League fuelled their disappointment.

Gladbach are out of Europe entirely, though, after relinquishing a 2-1 lead at Manchester City to lose 4-2 and finish bottom of their group.

Both sides will be taking out their frustration on each other as they both seek to play in the Champions League again next season.

"This is something which is going to bug me for the rest of my life, the fact that we have not made it," said Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt.

"It's dramatic. I'm speechless and disappointed. When you see that Roma didn't beat BATE Borisov, then it's a tragedy."

Leverkusen also slipped out of the top six in the Bundesliga last weekend and desperately cannot afford to lose any more ground before the winter break.

Gladbach's form in Europe has contrasted with their rise from the bottom of the Bundesliga to third since Andre Schubert took charge, however.

They have won eight and drawn two of their last 10 matches after losing their first five, and that streak included becoming the first team to beat Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga last weekend.

That win took them ahead of Wolfsburg and Hertha Berlin into a position which would see them enter the group stage of the Champions League again next season, and that is where they now want to stay.

"We've represented German football very well in an extremely difficult group and had some really good games," said Gladbach's director of sport Max Eberl.

"That shows what quality we have in our side, that we are able to play in the Champions League for the first time in 30 years and give such a good account of ourselves.

"We've not lost anything, but rather gained from an amazing experience."

That view is not entirely shared by Leverkusen coach Schmidt, who even two days after his side's elimination admitted he was struggling to come to terms with it.

"It still hurts a lot, even after a bit of time," he said at Friday's press conference.

"But now we want to give something back to our fans in our final home game of the year with a good performance."

Leverkusen will have to try that without Sebastian Boenisch, who is suspended, and with 24 hours less to recover from their midweek exertions than Gladbach, who Schmidt rightly acknowledged as the "team of the moment" in the Bundesliga.

Thanks to their win over Bayern last weekend, the Foals are now the league's form team in view of the last 10 games.