“It definitely does something to me,” head coach Julian Schuster said in an interview with SWR on Thursday evening, referring to the thousands of flags that were part of a large-scale tifo from the fans ahead of the club’s Europa League match against FC Utrecht. “Huge compliments to the fans for what was an impressive tifo and atmosphere. During our pre-match meeting I’d said to the team that the fans’ motto of ‘no distance is too far’ is something that we need to apply to our game as well. Then I stepped onto the pitch and saw that motto.” 

SC will have to carry this feeling with them into their next four games, all of which will be away. Around 2,000 fans are expected to travel with the team to this weekend’s match in Leverkusen. 

The match against the Werkself also marks the start of a busy few weeks for SC, with four away games in just ten days. “We’ve got some challenging games coming up,” said Schuster, who added that he’s also looking forward to “the next four games, where we’ll need every one.” The 40-year-old isn’t worried that his side will lack the energy needed to tackle the upcoming games, highlighting their squad depth. “It’s great to see the lads accept the need to rotate the squad and that they’re remaining focused. They’re competing in training and this competition helps to motivate everyone else.” 

This quality is also what has helped the team compensate for Patrick Osterhage’s recent absence. However, the midfielder is expected to be available again this weekend. “I’m optimistic that he will be part of the squad in Leverkusen again,” said Schuster. The same goes for Niklas Beste, who was subbed off as a “precautionary” measure against Utrecht. 

B04 enjoying success under Hjulmand

The support from the fans is also something that plays a role in Leverkusen’s success. Head coach Kasper Hjulmand praised his side’s supporters following their recent 7-2 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, saying “I have a lot of respect for the way the fans treated us as a team, and hope that we can pay them back in some way on Sunday.” 

Despite a disappointing start to their Champions League campaign, the Werkself have been enjoying a consistently strong campaign in the league so far. Since Hjulmand took charge of the side, they have picked up 13 of a possible 15 points and are still undefeated in the league under the Dane. 

SC will travel to Leverkusen on a strong run of form themselves, looking to extend their five-game unbeaten run in the Bundesliga. Including the Europa League, Schuster’s side are without defeat in their last eight matches. After winning two in a row, the side have drawn each of their last three games, with Schuster commenting “There weren’t any games in which we were lucky to take a point. Rather, I think that we were closer to winning in all three of those draws than our opponents were. Our performances are where they need to be in several areas at the minute, but it’s also important that we start winning games again.” 

Photo: SC Freiburg