DFB.de regularly speaks to a Germany international who is likely to have a special weekend for one reason or another: Today, Lars Bender speaks about Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s trip to FC Bayern München (Saturday, 18:30 CET), which also provides him with the chance to return to his roots.
The “Bendermap” is made up of seven places. Rio de Janeiro doesn’t make the cut. Neither does St. Martin. Or Nuremberg – even though he made his return to the senior squad there against Gibraltar recently. The return came nearly a year after his previous international game, six months since he had to depart Germany’s World Cup training camp in St. Martin and four months after the World Cup final, which he missed out on due to the fact he was nursing a thigh injury in South Tirol.
The “Bendermap” is a feature on Lars Bender’s website which shows the locations of some of the biggest moments in the life of the Bayer 04 Leverkusen midfield: Gdansk (Where he made his debut for the senior team), Lviv (Where he scored his first international goal – the winner against Denmark in the 2012 European Championship) are amongst the places plotted on the map. Munich is represented twice on the map: It was there that Lars and his twin brother Sven play youth team football for TSV 1860 München. Lars also made his senior debut for the Lions. On Saturday he returns to Munich to face city rivals FC Bayern in the Allianz Arena (Saturday, 18:30 CET).
Return to the senior team after missing the World Cup
The WDR, a German public-broadcasting institution, described his recall to the squad as “The return of a fighter” – he came on in the 79th minute for Toni Kroos in the European Championship qualifying victory over Gibraltar and replaced Sami Khedira shortly before full time four days later against Spain. He impressed with his calm, confident and uncompromising cameos.
Two days ahead of the game against Gibraltar he took to the podium and faced the media at Germany’s press conference: “I think that it’s logical and obvious that I was disappointed to pick up an injury so near to the World Cup.” One second he had one foot in the World Cup squad and: “A few hours later you find yourself on the couch preparing to watch the tournament.”
"The next aim is the European Championship"
Only Marco Reus suffered a more agonising end to his World Cup hopes. The Dortmund attacker was injured in the friendly against Armenia on 6th June. The Bayer 04 Leverkusen midfielder missed the first two games of the season but has since then been a regular; Reus has been dogged by injury problems.
DFB.de regularly speaks to a Germany international who is likely to have a special weekend for one reason or another: Today, Lars Bender speaks about Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s trip to FC Bayern München (Saturday, 18:30 CET), which also provides him with the chance to return to his roots.
The “Bendermap” is made up of seven places. Rio de Janeiro doesn’t make the cut. Neither does St. Martin. Or Nuremberg – even though he made his return to the senior squad there against Gibraltar recently. The return came nearly a year after his previous international game, six months since he had to depart Germany’s World Cup training camp in St. Martin and four months after the World Cup final, which he missed out on due to the fact he was nursing a thigh injury in South Tirol.
The “Bendermap” is a feature on Lars Bender’s website which shows the locations of some of the biggest moments in the life of the Bayer 04 Leverkusen midfield: Gdansk (Where he made his debut for the senior team), Lviv (Where he scored his first international goal – the winner against Denmark in the 2012 European Championship) are amongst the places plotted on the map. Munich is represented twice on the map: It was there that Lars and his twin brother Sven play youth team football for TSV 1860 München. Lars also made his senior debut for the Lions. On Saturday he returns to Munich to face city rivals FC Bayern in the Allianz Arena (Saturday, 18:30 CET).
Return to the senior team after missing the World Cup
The WDR, a German public-broadcasting institution, described his recall to the squad as “The return of a fighter” – he came on in the 79th minute for Toni Kroos in the European Championship qualifying victory over Gibraltar and replaced Sami Khedira shortly before full time four days later against Spain. He impressed with his calm, confident and uncompromising cameos.
Two days ahead of the game against Gibraltar he took to the podium and faced the media at Germany’s press conference: “I think that it’s logical and obvious that I was disappointed to pick up an injury so near to the World Cup.” One second he had one foot in the World Cup squad and: “A few hours later you find yourself on the couch preparing to watch the tournament.”
"The next aim is the European Championship"
Only Marco Reus suffered a more agonising end to his World Cup hopes. The Dortmund attacker was injured in the friendly against Armenia on 6th June. The Bayer 04 Leverkusen midfielder missed the first two games of the season but has since then been a regular; Reus has been dogged by injury problems.
Bender, who has taken the armband during the absence of injured captain Simon Rolfes, has fought hard to return to the Germany team and has already set goals for himself and the team: “The next aim is obvious, the European Championship,” explained the player who was born in Rosenheim. “I will do everything I can to make sure I get to lift an international trophy.”
Bender knows how to succeed in Munich
Victory in Munich would see Bayer 04 cut the gap between them and table-topping Bayern to seven points. Lars Bender knows how to win in the Allianz Arena. Lars and Sven moved to 1860 when they were 12 from local side Unterhaching and just four years later he made his debut for the first team in a 2-1 win over Koblenz in the second-division.
Sven was the first to leave Munich – in 2009 he signed for Dortmund; later that year Lars moved west to join Leverkusen. Since then, Bayern have been aware of the talent that was nurtured by their city rivals and hoped to snatch him back. In 2012 they attempted to sign the midfielder but Bayer 04 stood firm. Munich remains stamped on the “Bendermap” twice.
