Wirtz Excited for Reunions with Leverkusen Teammates

Florian Wirtz looks forward to reuniting with former Bayer Leverkusen teammates Granit Xhaka and Nordi Mukiele when Liverpool plays Sunderland tonight.

Liverpool visits The Stadium of Light this evening to face a Sunderland team that has not lost at home this season. A victory would bring the Reds within three points of the top four, and Wirtz will face familiar faces in the North East.

Xhaka and Mukiele are part of the Sunderland squad, with all three players having moved to England from the German club last summer.

“I know both of them very well since we played together at Leverkusen – [Granit] Xhaka and [Nordi] Mukiele – so I’m happy to see them again,” Wirtz told Liverpoolfc.com.

“But it’s not just about seeing them; I want to earn the three points. That’s our goal. We will do everything to secure the win, and nothing else matters.”

Liverpool aims to recover from their recent loss to Manchester City, where they blew a late lead at Anfield. Despite the setback, Wirtz believes there are positives to build on.

“We can take several lessons from the City match for the rest of the season,” Wirtz added.

“In my opinion, and perhaps others would agree, we didn’t deserve to lose because we played well. While we didn’t control the game fully in the first half, we also limited their chances against us.

“Overall, we had a solid game, won many duels, and played well, especially in the second half. We pressured a top team and proved we can compete at that level.

“This gives us confidence for the future, knowing we can challenge any team. Facing Sunderland will be tough, but we are determined to give our all again.

“We understand it will be a physical match, so we aim to give 100 percent on the pitch until the final whistle and hopefully return with three points.”