Bayer 04 and coach Kasper Hjulmand find themselves under immense pressure to deliver a victory against Werder Bremen following three consecutive defeats. The coach has emphasized the need for leadership and character from his team, as another disappointment would severely escalate the current challenging situation. Normally, coaches tend to downplay the significance of individual matches during the season. However, Kasper Hjulmand made it unequivocally clear in his pre-match press conference for the upcoming Saturday game against Werder Bremen at the BayArena that these 90 minutes are of paramount importance for Bayer 04. This urgency is felt even more acutely with only 17 games played by the Werkself out of the scheduled 19, and a postponed fixture against HSV still to be completed. The team’s recent form, marked by three losses in the league and Champions League this calendar year, has created a tense atmosphere in Leverkusen. Hjulmand openly admits that his team needs to produce a strong performance and secure a win, especially after some concerningly error-prone displays in 2026. Featured snippet paragraph: The answer is that Bayer Leverkusen must secure a win against Werder Bremen to alleviate the pressure and prevent their Champions League qualification hopes from being further jeopardized. The Dane, with Bayer 04, is in a must-win situation against Bremen. He needs his team to perform without any excuses in the upcoming Saturday match and the final league phase game of the Champions League on Wednesday. While the negative streak is relatively short, it has raised significant questions. A four-point deficit to fourth place, which guarantees Champions League qualification, is a clear alarm signal, as are the recent performances. The recurring weaknesses, which the coach has yet to resolve, are even more concerning. Instead of distancing themselves from their pursuers in January matches against VfB Stuttgart (1-4), away at TSG Hoffenheim (0-1), and at Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer has found themselves playing catch-up. The current league standing can still be rectified quickly. Hjulmand explains that they are talking about a mini-crisis, and with one win followed by another, things will be okay again. He stresses the possibility of turning the situation around within another week, stating, “We’re talking about a mini-crisis or a week and a half. With one win and another win, everything will be okay again. That’s how it is in football, but we need this win now, we must get this win on Saturday.” Considering the last three matches, where Bayer has only scored a single goal and only showed a chance advantage in the 0-2 loss to Olympiakos Piräus, while twice appearing uninspired in the league, nothing seems easy for this team at the moment. Similar to the poor start under Hjulmand’s predecessor Erik ten Hag, who only managed one point after two matchdays, Bayer is now under considerable pressure. “Now we have to show our character and our leadership qualities,” Hjulmand demands from his professionals and himself. In this situation, special qualities are required. “In this situation, you see character and leadership qualities. It’s easy to be a leader, a coach, when you win everything. But now we have to show our character, our leadership qualities, our way of playing football,” he says, adding when asked that they have many leaders and character. This must now translate onto the pitch against Werder, Villareal, Eintracht Frankfurt, and in the cup against St. Pauli. This marks the most critical phase under Hjulmand, who had previously lost two consecutive league games with Leverkusen at the end of November/beginning of December against Augsburg (0-2) and BVB (0-1). The former Danish national coach had anticipated difficult phases after taking over. However, he is surprised by the extent of the current situation. “I expected one, maybe two games that you don’t win,” Hjulmand says regarding his tenure, “but three is too many. That’s why we have to show our character now.” Especially since Bayer has lost four of their last six league games. If the main objective is jeopardized, discussions will arise. The match against Werder, who are also waiting for a win after eight games, pits two struggling clubs against each other. A victory for Bayer is not optional, as otherwise the situation will significantly worsen, the tone will become harsher, and discussions will emerge, further increasing the pressure. If the downward trend continues, which is more than just a results crisis given the performances, the main objective will be in greater danger: re-qualification for the Champions League. This is a scenario that Hjulmand and his team must prevent. The downward trend must be stopped on Saturday so that Bayer can reverse it with subsequent games. To achieve this, the right signal must be sent against Werder – through a good performance and a win. This is why Hjulmand does not shy away from discussing the importance of the match. He knows that another disappointment would make things uncomfortable for everyone involved.
