Berbatov focused on victory

By Pawel Dimow & Stoyan Georgiev

As Bayer 04 Leverkusen take on FC Dynamo Kyiv needing a win to reach the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, many Bulgarian football supporters will be backing them all the way.

Golden boy
That is because in 23-year-old striker Dimitar Berbatov, Klaus Augenthaler's team have the player whom Bulgarians hope will lead their national team for the next decade. With seven goals in the Bundesliga, three in the UEFA Champions League and a further five for Bulgaria since the start of the season, Berbatov is certainly in peak form.

Final veteran
A survivor from the Leverkusen side that reached the 2001/02 Champions League final under Klaus Toppmöller, Berbatov was initially regarded as a lazy and occasionally wasteful striker by fans at the BayArena but he has come into his own since scoring 16 goals in the Bundesliga last season.

Leverkusen face
Former Leverkusen striker Ulf Kirsten, now a coach at the club, said of him: "Berbatov has all the attributes necessary for a striker." Leverkusen sports manager Michael Reschke added: "Today Berbatov is not only a key player at Leverkusen, he is on his way to becoming the face of our club."

Getting better
Berbatov, meanwhile, is determined to give his all for the club. "I do not think I've reached my best at Leverkusen," he told Bulgarian newspaper Meridian Match. "I am sure I can play even better and improve. I owe everything to the club. The club has always put faith in me and I will always give my best."

Five-goal haul
He arrived at Leverkusen in a €2.3m deal from PFC CSKA Sofia, the club he had joined from his father's old team, PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad, as a 17-year-old. Berbatov made a name for himself at CSKA by scoring five goals in an 8-0 win against FC Constructorul-93 Chisinau in a UEFA Cup qualifying game in August 2000.

Tough game
A similar haul tonight against Dynamo - who include Bulgarian midfielder Georgi Peev - would doubtless be more than welcome as Leverkusen aim to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League - not that the player predicted anything of the kind. "I expect a very tough game against Dynamo," he said. "They are a very strong and experienced side.

'We have to win'
"This is our last group game and we have to win it," added Berbatov. "We all want to go as far as we can in the Champions League. Leverkusen are ambitious and we are aiming high and we want do well in Germany and in Europe. If we play at our best, I am sure we have a very good chance against Dynamo."

Symbolic victory
Should they reach the last 16, it will be further proof that Leverkusen have finally got over losing Michael Ballack and Zé Roberto to FC Bayern München in the summer of 2002 following that 2-1 Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid CF and will cement their re-emergence as a force in European football.

Never say never
And while they are currently in mid-table in the Bundesliga, the Bulgarian has not ruled out the possibility of his side finally dispelling the 'Neverkusen' tag of old and challenging for the German title this season.

Bundesliga hope
"We have just won three points against [VfL] Wolfsburg and gradually we are climbing the table," he said. "The difference in points between the top clubs in Germany is not that big. We have very good players and an excellent coach in Klaus Augenthaler. I am sure will improve our league position."