GGFN Press Conference Coverage | Kasper Hjulmand talks tactics, leadership, and lists five potential midfield starters for next Bundesliga match | OneFootball

New Bayer Leverkusen head coach Kasper Hjulmand employed some interesting tactical tweaks in last night’s 2-2 Champions League draw with FC Copenhagen. Hjulmand’s new Bundesliga club got off to a sluggish start against FC Copenhagen at the Parken Stadium. In order to jump start his team, Hjulmand employed two sets of double substitutions.

First, Ibrahim Maza and Aleix Garcia relieved Malik Tillman and Exequiel Fernandez on straight swaps in the 51st. A little later, Ernest Poku and Claudio Echeverri came on for Loïc Badé and Eliesse Ben Seghir in the 67th. This led to a shift from a 3-4-3 to a 4-2-3-1. Hjulmand’s Werkself displayed a bit more energy, yet still didn’t score a goal from open play.

Another Alejandro Grimaldo set-piece stunner and an own-goal from Copenhagen defender Pantelis Hatzidiakos helped Leverkusen gain a point from their 2025/26 Champions League debut. Get German Football News attended Friday’s pre-match press conference ahead of this weekend’s Bundesliga encounter with Borussia Mönchengladbach

Hjulmand admitted that his team hadn’t had time to practice the 4-2-3-1.

“We haven’t had much time on the training pitch to try new things or [practice] ‘Plan B’ or ‘Plan C’,” Hjulmand noted on Friday. “What we did yesterday wasn’t rehearsed. When I changed to a back-four, we hadn’t trained that. Those flexible changes in the team haven’t been trained yet. It’s just meetings and video. It’s very important that we try to keep it simple and then grow from that.“

When it came time to discuss the big personnel question, Hjulmand openly pondered several options. Midfielders Robert Andrich and Exequiel Fernandez find themselves suspended for the coming league match against Gladbach after being ejected against Frankfurt last Friday.  Exequiel Palacios is out injured. Garcia remains the only central midfielder Hjulmand can call upon.

Given that Hjulmand needs to keep the automatisms in place, and – in his own words – “keep things simple“, it would appear that running a system featuring two midfielders in a double six will remain the strategy. Hjulmand listed several specific players that might work alongside Garcia.

“We have other players who can play there,” Hjulmand said. “Malik [Tillman] can play there. Axel [Tape] can play there. [Lucas] Vasquez can also play there in midfield. A player like ‘Ibo’ [Maza] came from Hertha. He’s played in a three-man-midfield. He’s also played central in a game for us. I think we have possibilities to fill out the position with different players with different characteristics. We have good options.

“It’s a privilege to play all these matches,” Hjulmand said in response to a question about the packed schedule. “And we have five substitutions. So there’s no excuses. We will be ready on Sunday to play a very good match. We have experienced [if not young] players who have done it before.“

Something else Hjulmand happens to have is a true set-piece wizard. After Alejandro Grimaldo scored his third dead ball goal in just two matches under Hjulmand, the Danish head coach likened the Spaniard to one of the most famous Danes who ever worked under him.

Hjulmand also confirmed that – in Andrich’s absence – Grimaldo would don the captain’s armband on Sunday. Andrich himself was only just named the squad’s new captain by previous head coach Erik ten Hag. Hjulmand reiterated that, in his coaching regime, the leadership role would be spread around.

“The way he takes these kicks is world class,” Hjulmand said of Grimaldo. “One had the same feeling with Christian Eriksen whenever he had the ball in this position. The way Grimaldo confidently strikes the ball with top-spin is top class.

“I just had a meeting with the team leadership council and Grimaldo will continue to serve as the captain,” Hjulmand said. “I’ve studied the players, but I have to get to know the players and their personalities in order to get a sense of how they lead.

“As I said last week, leadership is not a ‘one-man-band’,” Hjulmand continued. “It’s a team effort. The strength of leadership must come from more than one person. It must come from a group of players prepared to take responsibility who want to help the team and other players grow.

“We’ll see in the next months,” Hjulmand concluded. “There might be other captains on the pitch. But for Sunday, it will definitely be Grimaldo.”

GGFN | Peter Weis