How will Leverkusen line up under Hjulmand?

Hjulmand is a familiar face to some Bundesliga followers, having replaced Thomas Tuchel at Mainz during the 2014/15 season, but he is perhaps best known for his four-year spell in charge of Denmark, which brought with it a run to the semi-finals of UEFA EURO 2020.

While the 3-4-2-1 formation Hjulmand used to get them there will fit with sporting director Simon Rolfes’ vision at the BayArena, that achievement with his national team in the summer of 2021 (COVID-19 had delayed the competition), first gained headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Star midfielder Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest against Finland in Denmark’s Group B opener, and while he survived following quick action from teammates and medics, the upset in the camp might have derailed the Dane’s campaign.

Instead, Denmark went on to beat Russia, Wales and Czechia, and only fell 2-1 to England after extra-time in their semi-final meeting in London. “You saved us from the storm and were the captain of everything and gave us the feeling that it was ok to play football,” said former Wolfsburg man Simon Kjær of Hjulmand at the time. 

The 53-year-old’s credentials as a man manager would seem to be beyond reproach, but what about his tactical preferences? In that fleeting spell at Mainz he used a back four, but with Denmark since he has largely employed a 3-4-3 system – one for which Leverkusen’s squad looks built for.

Four years on, at UEFA EURO 2024, Eriksen was back fit and given pride of place at No.10, but that was the biggest departure from the previous competition.

A back three, wing-backs, and two all-action midfielders in the centre were cornerstones. A lone striker with two No.10s or two strikers with one might be some welcome tactical flexibility… 

“The first thing we did was see what is here, how do we want to train? How do we want to play and with the quality that's in the squad. We start like this,” Hjulmand said in his first press conference as Leverkusen head coach.

"I think it's great that we are diverse, that we have different backgrounds, but we have one thing in common. It's the way we want to play and train. It’s a new team that we need to build.”

Watch: Bayer’s new boys

At Leverkusen, Hjulmand is walking into a dressing room that has some 17 new faces in it. Surviving members of Xabi Alonso’s undefeated 2024 Bundesliga title-winning vintage remain – Patrik Schick and Álex Grimaldo have enjoyed five direct goal-involvements between them this season – but there is no denying he has some sculpting to do. 

With Victor Boniface leaving on loan to Werder Bremen, Schick figures to remain the lone striker. And unlike Denmark last year, Leverkusen have an embarrassment of riches in attacking midfield, even accounting for Florian Wirtz’s transfer to Liverpool.

A fit again Malik Tillman is likely to be his direct replacement once fitness allows. The second No.10 alongside him could be any one of new arrivals Claudio Echeverri (from Manchester City), Eliesse Ben Seghir (Monaco), Ibrahim Maza (Hertha Berlin) or relative old timers Nathan Tella and Jonas Hofmann.

Three genuine centre-backs were in both of Hjulmand's Denmark sides, with no midfielder or full-back filling in, and that will be music to the ears of Jarell Quansah, Edmond Tapsoba and Loïc Badé, all in the 6’4” range.

Whether Hjulmand can get a tune out of his new ensemble remains to be seen, but his tactical preferences fit the squad and his personal skills augur well for a new-look cast. Might Bayer be Never-losin’ once again?