Bayer Leverkusen host AC Milan within the Champions League on Tuesday, hoping for a glowing efficiency from star midfielder Florian Wirtz. Still simply 21, Wirtz will make his dwelling debut within the competitors, having missed Leverkusen’s most up-to-date Champions League marketing campaign with an ACL harm. That he’ll achieve this in opposition to seven-time champions Milan feels applicable for a participant tipped for an extended profession on the European stage. Leverkusen’s squad is deep in high quality and Xabi Alonso’s teaching is rightly praised, however Wirtz’s spark is central to all the things the workforce does.
Known primarily for his midfield creativity, he’s additionally a objective risk; Wirtz has 4 objectives in 5 league video games this season.
In a workforce that includes Granit Xhaka, Victor Boniface, Patrik Schick, Alex Grimaldo and Exequiel Palacios, Wirtz is trusted sufficient to be Leverkusen’s designated penalty taker.
‘Allow Flo to shine’
Wirtz’s expertise is simple and regardless of taking part in an important function as Leverkusen broke by way of for a debut Bundesliga title, he nonetheless has some extent to show in European competitors.
He was muscled out in final 12 months’s Europa League closing, received 3-0 by Atalanta in Leverkusen’s solely lack of a 53-game season.
Bayern Munich adopted an analogous strategy in Saturday’s 1-1 Bundesliga draw, efficiently denting Leverkusen’s creativity by closely marking the star midfielder.
When Wirtz can free himself from the heavy consideration, he’s among the many most harmful gamers within the sport.
In Leverkusen’s Champions League opener at Feyenoord — Wirtz’s first match within the competitors — he scored a first-half double in a dominant 4-0 win.
At 1.77-metres tall, Wirtz won’t ever be essentially the most bodily participant, one thing Alonso is aware of from private expertise as a equally proportioned midfielder.
Speaking on Friday, Alonso stated the entire workforce had the accountability for unleashing “the perfect Flo.”
He cannot “go it alone,” Alonso stated, including “we want the entire workforce on their finest stage to permit Flo to shine.”
The 150 million euro man
As anticipated for a starlet at a membership of Leverkusen’s stature, rumours have already linked Wirtz, who has a contract till 2027, with an exit from the membership maybe as early as subsequent summer season.
Earlier in 2024, Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro stated he would “by no means let Wirtz go for lower than 150 million euros ($167 million)”.
Known for capturing from the hip, Carro later apologised, saying he “made a mistake” and explaining “we need to hold Florian Wirtz with us for so long as doable… he does not have a price ticket.”
Real Madrid, Manchester City and Arsenal are reportedly among the many events, however German giants Bayern are additionally set to push arduous to signal Wirtz.
Bayern are long-term admirers of the midfielder and need to have him line up alongside Germany teammate Jamal Musiala as they achieve this nicely at worldwide stage.
Wearing a shiny smile, Bayern’s goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer advised Sky Germany he would “want to play with each collectively in the identical workforce.”
A star displaying on the worldwide stage will proceed to reinforce the demand for Wirtz’s companies — and amplify the sum Leverkusen may obtain in return.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
