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Stefan Kiessling confident of ending 814-minute Leverkusen goal drought

Bayer Leverkusen attacker Stefan Kiessling believes his goal drought will end soon after going without a goal for 814 minutes.

Kiessling, 30, last found the back of the net in Leverkusen's first Bundesliga match of the season at Borussia Dortmund. He set up one more in their 3-3 draw with Werder Bremen on matchday three, but has since had no direct involvement in any league goal.

In the Champions League, the former Germany international's last and only goal of the competition came on Oct. 1 when he opened Leverkusen's account for the season in their 3-1 victory over Benfica.

But the 2012-13 Bundesliga top scorer -- who last failed to reach double digits in the 2010-11 season -- is not overly concerned with his goal drought in the German top flight, where his club currently sit in sixth place.

"Of course, I need a goal. But I am not measured by goals alone," Kiessling told Sport Bild. "I know that I can help the team in other areas as well, otherwise I wouldn't always play. I believe that regardless of not scoring I've played better games than in the previous season.

"I will find the back of the net again. And I've gone through worse situations in my career."

Despite the lack of goals from Kiessling, Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt has backed his attacker, and recently said that the player will have scored 10 to 17 goals by the end of the season.

Speaking of the goal target, Kiessling said: "That's not unrealistic. There are still many games left to be played."

Meanwhile, Kiessling's teammate Josip Drmic could move on to another club after only six months with the Champions League side.

With Kiessling a mainstay in attack, it has not been the easiest season for Switzerland international Drmic after joining the club from Nurnberg this summer. The 22-year-old has started only one league game, and came off the bench as a late substitute in seven other matches, scoring once.

Drmic, who scored 17 goals for Nurnberg last season, could now already leave the club in the winter, according to German weekly Sport Bild. Indeed the paper states struggling Bundesliga sides Bremen and Hamburg are both interested in the World Cup participant.

"He's a very good player," Bremen sporting executive Thomas Eichin said.

However, so far Leverkusen have blocked any interest. "We are not discussing that right now," Leverkusen CEO Michael Schade said.