Fielding underachieving strikers in Europe's most prolific league may not be the way for Bayer to achieve their dreams.
Six goals. That's the total Bayer Leverkusen strikers Stefan Kießling and Josip Drmić have combined for in 1,673 minutes of Bundesliga action this season. Simply put, three goals apiece from strikers that scored 15 and 17 league goals last season just isn't good enough, and it's cost Bayer dearly in their efforts to cement their place as a contender in Germany.
Drmić was the focal point of the Nürnberg attack, but now is the backup at Bayer Leverkusen. Because Leverkusen use a one-striker system, the Switzerland international hasn't seen a whole lot of the pitch this campaign, playing less than 300 minutes across 11 substitute appearances and one start. However, when he has played, performances have been so bad that the club had to come out and quash the rumours of interest in Roberto Soldado, who hasn't exactly set the world on fire at Tottenham. Ouch.
Kießling, the 2012-13 golden boot winner with 25 goals, went through a goal drought of 859 minutes, a streak of futility that lasted nearly three months. He didn't score between August 23 and November 22, and only contributed one assist during that timespan. It hasn't been much better in the Champions League either. Although Kießling broke his duck on October 1 against Zenit, that's the only goal he's managed in 442 minutes of Champions League football.
Even though manager Rodger Schmidt is new this year, his switch to the 4-2-3-1 wasn't too drastic for Bayer. They've been playing with a lone striker since 2010, and it's been Kießling the majority of that time. At 31, could it be that he's too old to do the job now? That seems unlikely, but it is a possibility. Schmidt has put an emphasis on youth, with Kießling and 34-year old central defender Emir Spahić the only two regular starters over the age of 27. Even captain Simon Rolfes has made just eight appearances this year, and announced that he will be retiring at season's end. Perhaps the focus on youth means it's time for Drmić to start, despite his rather horrid performances.
Fortunately, from the Werkself's perspective, it can't get worse at striker. The good news is that Karim Bellarabi is having a breakout season. Eight goals and four assists so far means the player Leverkusen couldn't get rid of in the summer is now their top scorer -- and a valuable commodity. It's come out of nowhere as well, considering last season's subpar loan spell at to Eintracht Braunschwieg produced three goals in 26 league appearances. Now in the form of his life, Bellarabi's even managed to crack the Nationalmannschaft.
Fellow attacking midfielders and full internationals Heung-Min Son and Hakan Çalhanoglu are performing well, with Son scoring five and Çalhanoglu netting four (three from free kicks). Unfortunately for Bayer, Son will miss the clash with Dortmund as he attempts to lead South Korea to an Asian Cup final victory over host nation Australia on Sunday. The second match of the Rückrunde, a trip to the capital city to take on Hertha BSC on February 4, will also probably come too soon to see him inserted back into the lineup, so someone else will need to take his place. The man most likely to be tasked with replacing Son will be 18-year old Julian Brandt, a left winger and German youth international with loads of potential. Brandt has only seen limited minutes this year, mostly as a substitute, despite providing competition for Son last season when he was having trouble finding his feet after a move from Hamburg.
Another positive has been that the defense has seemingly fixed itself. After two insane 3-3 draws (against Werder Bremen and VfB Stuttgart, of all teams) in the first two months of the year, Schmidt has been able to rely on his team to shut down the opposition. They had conceded 14 through eight matchdays, but have shipped just six in their most recent nine games. But their may be trouble ahead there, too. Brought in on loan from Schalke, Kyriakos Papadopoulos was meant to start, or at least be in a regular rotation. However, he has only made four appearances so far due to injuries. Another loanee, Tin Jedvaj from Roma, has been so effective that the buyout option was exercised this winter, but he was hurt over the Winterpause and is out until mid-February.
Although the defense has been reliable ever since that 3-3 draw against Stuttgart, more rigidity may have led to fewer goals at the other end. The Werkself have been held to a goal or less in seven of their last nine league matches. Excluding the 5-1 thumping of Köln and an impressive 3-1 road victory over Hannover 96, they've scored just four goals in seven matches. That won't be good enough to keep up the pace needed to stay in the top four, especially this year when the gap between the Europa League quality teams and Champions League quality teams appears to have vanished, save for the untouchable Bayern Munich. Despite being in third with 28 points, Bayer are just five points better off than ninth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.
Will Leverkusen finish ninth? No, but Borussia Mönchengladbach, Schalke, Augsburg (all on 27 points) and Hoffenheim (26) all look capable of snatching the fourth spot. Don't count out Borussia Dortmund just yet either. Even after the atrocious Hinrunde performance by Jürgen Klopp's men saw them take the joint-fewest points in the league, they are just 12 points away from the European places.
Bayer Leverkusen start the second half of the season against Dortmund, and there's no denying that game's importance. On opening day, Bayer won at 2-0 at the Signal Iduna Park. Bellarabi scored nine seconds in, the fastest goal in Bundesliga history, and Kießling provided the bookend with a goal five minutes into stoppage time at the end of the second half. Should Kießling get the chance to lead the line again, he better repay Schmidt's faith, or his time as the main man may be up.
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