Maza Responds to Wirtz Comparisons: 'I'm Trying to Forge My Own Path'

Ibrahim Maza, who has caught the eye with his impressive performances for Bayer Leverkusen, says he is honoured to be compared with Florian Wirtz, one of the club's most memorable players, but admits he still has a long way to go to fully live up to those expectations.

Leverkusen, who travel to Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga on Sunday, have climbed to fourth place on the back of three straight wins despite a sluggish start to the season.

Maza has played a key role in that revival and has struck up an excellent understanding with striker Patrik Schick. The pair assisted each other's goals in last weekend's 2-1 win over Freiburg. Maza's assist for Schick, in which he elegantly dribbled past two defenders near the corner flag, prompted comparisons between the young star and Wirtz.

Wirtz, who joined Liverpool last year for 138 million euros, scored 57 goals and provided 62 assists in 197 appearances for Leverkusen, and played a starring role in the unbeaten Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal triumphs of the 2023-24 season.

Addressing the comparisons, Maza said: "Flo is an incredible player, a true Leverkusen legend. But I'm still trying to forge my own path and play my own football. Our playing styles are a little different, but of course it's great to be able to follow in the footsteps of such a great footballer. I hope I can reach his level one day. Taking on this kind of responsibility at such a big club makes me proud. At the same time, I'm trying to put the talk aside, focus only on what happens on the pitch, do my own job and enjoy my football."

Leverkusen's opponents on Sunday, Hoffenheim, sit 13th with 6 points. However, Christian Ilzer's side have gained a morale boost from a 3-0 win over Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday, following a 2-1 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach in their last league outing.

Players to watch

Hoffenheim – Alexander Prass

Making his 57th Bundesliga appearance against Borussia Mönchengladbach, Prass both scored and assisted in the same league match for the first time in his career. He is now aiming to record a direct goal involvement in back-to-back Bundesliga matches for the first time in his career.

Bayer Leverkusen – Ibrahim Maza

With 1 goal and 1 assist against SC Freiburg, Maza was directly involved in two goals in a Bundesliga match for the second time. The young star has also created more chances from open play (15) than any other player in the Bundesliga this season.

Pre-match notes

Hoffenheim, who have lost more Bundesliga matches against Leverkusen than against any other opponent since the start of 2023 (5), are aiming to beat their formidable opponents and extend last season's winning run.