Bayer Leverkusen is more than just Hakan Calhanoglu says manager [divider]

Bayer Leverkusen manager Roger Schmidt underlined that a team effort will be required for his side to knock Atletico Madrid out of the Champions League Last 16.

Çalhanoğlu scored the winning goal in the first leg and has attracted interest from European football giants Barcelona, Arsenal and Liverpool over recent weeks but Schmidt highlighted that there is more to his side than just the 21-year-old.

“We will try to keep possession and look for fast transitions, as we did at home. Hakan Çalhanoğlu is one of 11 players and our strength is the whole team,” Schmidt told the official UEFA website.

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Schmidt also revealed that he does not believe his side are favourites going into the second-leg and that it would be a surprise to eliminate Atleti from the competition.

“We will try to play as a team. We were not favourites going into the tie and we just need to focus on the 90 minutes ahead. Lars Bender is fit to play,” he added.

Atleti reached the Champions League final last season and won the La Liga title.

The Rojiblancos went into the tie as the bookmakers favourites but Bayer won the first-leg in Germany 1-0.