Not badly played, but nothing fetched

At least in the first sixty minutes of the Champions League away match at Atletico Madrid, the Werkself could not be accused of having learned nothing from the defeat in Frankfurt.  But what I couldn't deny and that's the way it is when you score zero goals: Our highly praised storm did not hit again. You can always get one in Atletico, but to be honest, I haven't seen much of a chance for our team to score.

To those of you who are now making the swan song to the Champions League, all you can say is that it was already clear after the home defeat against Moscow that this year it's all about the Euro League for us. And nothing has changed in the constellation so far. There is still everything in it, especially since we can also win in Moscow with heart and blood with two goals difference.

Now four home games in a row follow, our whole concentration has to be on it: scoring in the Bundesliga and getting ahead in the cup against Paderborn. Then it doesn't matter what the outcome against Atletico will be in the second leg. This will be a game for increasing self-confidence if things go well or for increasing uncertainty if things go badly. I believe in the first one. The season is still long.

A painful evening

Just is different, but if you are already 2:0 behind after 15 minutes, then it will probably be a painful evening. 

Our guys haven't been able to control their opponents for much of the first half. Then it doesn't help if we were the clearly better team in the second half. Six/seven high-carat chances we did not use and then still one caught.

All in all it is too little at the end of the day. We stand in the secured midfield, but that cannot and must not be our claim with this team.

We must be satisfied with the point against Leipzig

It would have been too nice if we had been able to break in the three-way against the cops, but realistically we have to be satisfied with the point - against one of our fear opponents.  It could have ended bitterly for us in the first half, but my old saying is: the goalkeeper is part of the game. And nice to see how our defenders made Timo Werner tired, so that he had to be replaced early with frustration.

The two injuries of Sinkgraven and Aranguiz hurt us. Especially with Sinkgraven, you had the feeling until his replacement that his left side does not burn. And Charles is a must in this team, nice to see how he prepared the interim lead with full force.

The hot weeks of the preliminary round start right after the international break. Away in Frankfurt and at Atletico. And then three home games in one week: Werder, Paderborn in the cup and then Gladbach. And the fourth home game in a row follows directly in the following week, when Atletico is a guest in the BayArena.

Especially the away game in Frankfurt is important. There we often looked good and a victory would bring the Frankfurters to a clear distance to us. But somehow every game is important in this table constellation.

As expected nothing to get in Turin

The result of 0:3 seems sobering at first sight. Bayer had more ball possession, but the breakthrough to the front was missing. Those who strongly criticise the team, especially in the social media, should keep in mind that Juventus is not just any Italian village club, but has the right to advance to the final in the Champions League. Two figures may illustrate the difference: At Transfermarkt, the total market value of the Juventus squad is currently 864 million euros, which compares to 415 million euros for our team. In the end, money scores more goals again.

It is important for our boys to present themselves internationally and the next old saying is: We learn from mistakes. If that's the case, then the defeat is painful, but okay. Then we can watch the home game with a clear conscience before the international break against the cops from Leipzig. We can certainly make our contribution to making the cans foam over after the two home defeats against Schalke and now also against Lyon.