The connection to place 7? Manufactured. The gap to rank 6? Reduced to three points. After the 2-1 win against Bayern Munich, Bayer 04 suddenly have their sights set on qualifying for the Europa League. Or is there even a starting place in the Champions League?
On the upswing: Bayer 04 Leverkusen celebrates the 2-1 victory over FC Bayern.
IMAGO/Sven Simon
Hardly anyone expected Bayer 04 to play so well against the German record champions. Neither did goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, who said after the Werkself’s best performance of the season: “I was pleasantly surprised that we were capable of such a performance after a week in Europe. Intensity, passion – I haven’t seen that this year. Also from there was no end of energy from the spectators. That’s the recipe you need to win against Bayern.”
The three points against the title favorites open up new opportunities for Xabi Alonso’s team in the race for European starting places. 7th place, which the coach called for after the 1-0 defeat in Augsburg on matchday 19 and which VfL Wolfsburg is currently holding, is only one point away. And thus just as easy to achieve for Leverkusen on their own as Eintracht Frankfurt, which is in 6th place with a three-point lead. Bayer meets both competitors in the first half of April.
After the last three wins in a row, Hradecky has now raised the goal for the season a little. With a view to his ex-club Frankfurt, the goalkeeper has his sights set on the Europa League. “Hopefully this international break doesn’t come at a bad time,” said the Finnish international and commented on sixth place: “With this class, if we continue like this, it should be realistic.”
So the Bayer countdown is ticking down: The actual Champions League contender is currently in 8th place. 7th place has meanwhile been replaced by 6th place as a feasible goal. And this should not be the end of Leverkusen’s comeback.
We have to keep both feet on the ground.
Do you think Bayer, the real Champions League contenders, is still fourth after the recent upward trend and thus moving into the premier class? At least Rolfes doesn’t combine this and explains: “Step by step. I said we want to get to 7th place. We’re close there. We’re closer to 6th place. That’s the focus for now. What might happen then will happen you see.”
Rolfes knows exactly what is required for the race to catch up to continue successfully: there must be no complacency. “It’s a win against Bayern, but we have to keep our feet on the ground and keep going,” demands the ex-professional.
To keep up hope for 4th place. Because coach Xabi Alonso has not yet written it off, as he clearly showed through the flower. The Spaniard said after the win against his former club: “We have to keep going. We’re still a long way from where we want to be, but we’ll try.” He can’t have meant the three points on Eintracht Frankfurt and 6th place…
