Even though it was a clear victory in the end, the relief was clear on the face of Lars Bender after he and his Bayer Leverkusen teammates beat Lazio Rome last night. Bayer 04 qualified for the Champions League group stage for the tenth time in their history with a 3-0 home win over the Italian side. Alongside World Cup winner Christoph Kramer at the base of midfield, Leverkusen captain Bender put in a solid performance as his side won through.
Former Germany international Oliver Kahn was full of praise for the midfielder who currently has 19 caps for Die Mannschaft. "Lars Bender and Christoph Kramer played very well in midfield, and they organised the team very well," said the 2002 World Cup runner-up. In an interview with DFB.de, Bender himself talked about qualifying for Europe’s top club competition, his new role as captain of Bayer Leverkusen and this weekend’s Bundesliga opponents FC Bayern München.
DFB.de: Lars Bender, after a 3-0 victory Bayer Leverkusen can finally say: "Champions League, here we come." Did you ever doubt that you would qualify?
Lars Bender: No, we repeated it to ourselves a lot over the past few days that we have a lot of confidence in our ability – that we played well at home last year and that we want to keep doing so this season. And that’s exactly what we managed to do."
DFB.de: What was the crucial factor against Lazio?
Bender: We wanted to play a similar way to how we did in Rome, but to also take our chances this time around. It was quite clear to see the tension and nervousness during the game, but it went as well as it could have for us. We scored a goal before half time, and then just after the break too. Them getting a man sent off obviously also helped us a lot. All in all we put in a very good performance – we defended well and we were always dangerous up front. I think we definitely earned the victory.
DFB.de: Was it after that red card that you knew you’d make it through?
Bender: There are a lot of games at the top level that go the other way after something like that happens – but we had the feeling that we were very secure in defence, and we didn’t doubt ourselves. After that, we scored the third goal which made it clear that the game was over. And that’s how it ended – it was a huge relief.
DFB.de: That’s the fifth time that Bayer 04 Leverkusen have played a Champions League play-off, and the fifth time they’ve qualified...
Bender: We had a mountain to climb, that was obvious – Lazio are a very good side, and after the first leg we kind of had our backs against the wall. But obviously anything is possible in football – had we conceded, the game would have gone in a totally different direction. But we were well motivated and fully switched on.
DFB.de: Lazio had no real sights of goal. Are you a bit surprised at that, given their recent form?
Bender: We knew what we were up against. We worked very hard to qualify for the Champions League last season, and it all boiled down to this one game. That’s the mentality we went into the match with, and we won it because of our physicality. The longer the game went on, the more we believed that we would qualify.
DFB.de: The draw for the group stages is taking place in Monaco on Thursday evening. Have you got any preferences over who you’d like to face?
Bender: We’ve already had a few opponents in the Champions League, and it would be nice to be drawn against a team that we’ve not played before. We’ll be following the draw in a relaxed mood, with no ulterior motives.
DFB.de: After the win against Lazio, what do you think is possible in this year’s Champions League?
Bender: If we find ourselves in a tight game or in an important game, we can definitely draw on the experience we’ve had over these two legs with Lazio – what did we do well, how did we find the strength to win the game? The match tonight was a final, no question about it, and so it was important to win such a game. I’m hoping it will give us a big boost.
DFB.de: How long until that smile finally leaves your face?
Bender: We now have to switch our focus immediately to Saturday’s game against FC Bayern München – but I’m hoping I’ll still have a smile on my face as we go into the international break.
DFB.de: What are you expecting from the game with Bayern?
Bender: It’s important that we rest up and prepare as well as possible for the game. Unlike us, FC Bayern haven’t had a game this week – but that can also be a good thing, since we’re into a good rhythm now and we’re even more confident after such a good result.
DFB.de: Has anything changed for you personally since you were made club captain?
Bender: No, nothing has changed – I played a big role in the changing room last season and I’ve never shied away from responsibility. Our team has got a lot younger this season, and I know I have to be supportive and be there for the boys whenever they need me.
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Even though it was a clear victory in the end, the relief was clear on the face of Lars Bender after he and his Bayer Leverkusen teammates beat Lazio Rome last night. Bayer 04 qualified for the Champions League group stage for the tenth time in their history with a 3-0 home win over the Italian side. Alongside World Cup winner Christoph Kramer at the base of midfield, Leverkusen captain Bender put in a solid performance as his side won through.
Former Germany international Oliver Kahn was full of praise for the midfielder who currently has 19 caps for Die Mannschaft. "Lars Bender and Christoph Kramer played very well in midfield, and they organised the team very well," said the 2002 World Cup runner-up. In an interview with DFB.de, Bender himself talked about qualifying for Europe’s top club competition, his new role as captain of Bayer Leverkusen and this weekend’s Bundesliga opponents FC Bayern München.
DFB.de: Lars Bender, after a 3-0 victory Bayer Leverkusen can finally say: "Champions League, here we come." Did you ever doubt that you would qualify?
Lars Bender: No, we repeated it to ourselves a lot over the past few days that we have a lot of confidence in our ability – that we played well at home last year and that we want to keep doing so this season. And that’s exactly what we managed to do."
DFB.de: What was the crucial factor against Lazio?
Bender: We wanted to play a similar way to how we did in Rome, but to also take our chances this time around. It was quite clear to see the tension and nervousness during the game, but it went as well as it could have for us. We scored a goal before half time, and then just after the break too. Them getting a man sent off obviously also helped us a lot. All in all we put in a very good performance – we defended well and we were always dangerous up front. I think we definitely earned the victory.
DFB.de: Was it after that red card that you knew you’d make it through?
Bender: There are a lot of games at the top level that go the other way after something like that happens – but we had the feeling that we were very secure in defence, and we didn’t doubt ourselves. After that, we scored the third goal which made it clear that the game was over. And that’s how it ended – it was a huge relief.
DFB.de: That’s the fifth time that Bayer 04 Leverkusen have played a Champions League play-off, and the fifth time they’ve qualified...
Bender: We had a mountain to climb, that was obvious – Lazio are a very good side, and after the first leg we kind of had our backs against the wall. But obviously anything is possible in football – had we conceded, the game would have gone in a totally different direction. But we were well motivated and fully switched on.
DFB.de: Lazio had no real sights of goal. Are you a bit surprised at that, given their recent form?
Bender: We knew what we were up against. We worked very hard to qualify for the Champions League last season, and it all boiled down to this one game. That’s the mentality we went into the match with, and we won it because of our physicality. The longer the game went on, the more we believed that we would qualify.
DFB.de: The draw for the group stages is taking place in Monaco on Thursday evening. Have you got any preferences over who you’d like to face?
Bender: We’ve already had a few opponents in the Champions League, and it would be nice to be drawn against a team that we’ve not played before. We’ll be following the draw in a relaxed mood, with no ulterior motives.
DFB.de: After the win against Lazio, what do you think is possible in this year’s Champions League?
Bender: If we find ourselves in a tight game or in an important game, we can definitely draw on the experience we’ve had over these two legs with Lazio – what did we do well, how did we find the strength to win the game? The match tonight was a final, no question about it, and so it was important to win such a game. I’m hoping it will give us a big boost.
DFB.de: How long until that smile finally leaves your face?
Bender: We now have to switch our focus immediately to Saturday’s game against FC Bayern München – but I’m hoping I’ll still have a smile on my face as we go into the international break.
DFB.de: What are you expecting from the game with Bayern?
Bender: It’s important that we rest up and prepare as well as possible for the game. Unlike us, FC Bayern haven’t had a game this week – but that can also be a good thing, since we’re into a good rhythm now and we’re even more confident after such a good result.
DFB.de: Has anything changed for you personally since you were made club captain?
Bender: No, nothing has changed – I played a big role in the changing room last season and I’ve never shied away from responsibility. Our team has got a lot younger this season, and I know I have to be supportive and be there for the boys whenever they need me.
