Bundesliga Alonso Leverkusen on the verge of a historic title
Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso and his team can replace FC Bayern as German champions this weekend. photo
© Marius Becker/dpa
Leverkusen is ready. This weekend, Bayer 04 wants to officially end FC Bayern’s championship streak. A player has a special wish – and briefly becomes a fan of the competition.
Before what could be the biggest weekend in the club’s history, Xabi Alonso casually brushed aside a warning from his leader Granit Xhaka.
“We are very stable in our minds,” said the Bayer Leverkusen coach. His team will definitely not be over-motivated. “The anticipation is great. It can’t be bigger. If we win, we’re champions,” said the exceptional coach, summing up the situation before the game against Werder Bremen. The game should be a big title party for Bayer 04. Leverkusen is ready to finally shed its vice-president image and replace perennial champions FC Bayern.
“We know that we can make history on Sunday – for the football club, for the fans and for ourselves too,” Xhaka had previously said and added: “We mustn’t appear over-motivated.” The midfield strategist and his teammates are aware of the importance of Bayer’s first championship. It goes far beyond Leverkusen. Children born after 2012 have not experienced any other German champion than Bayern.
When the people of Munich last didn’t celebrate with the bowl, the Pope was still called Benedict XVI. Michael Schumacher drove his last Formula 1 season. Lionel Messi played for FC Barcelona, Cristiano Ronaldo for Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappé for INF Clairefontaine’s youth team. It is clear that Bayer 04 will end Bayern’s championship streak given their 16-point lead after matchday 28. The only question is: When will the title be determined?
Just don’t become masters on the sofa
Jonas Hofmann has a clear wish in this regard. “I hope we can decide for ourselves,” said the offensive man. “Especially when you can become German champion for the first time, you don’t want to do that at home on the couch with a glass of water the day before you play yourself.” The 31-year-old will therefore even become a fan of the competition on Saturday, keeping his fingers crossed for FC Bayern against 1. FC Cologne and VfB Stuttgart against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Because: If both lose, Leverkusen would already be confirmed as champions before their own game (Sunday, 5.30 p.m./DAZN). “You can’t let your emotions out if you’re not with the group you did it with,” said Hofmann about the possible sofa title. Alonso sees it similarly. “I would rather decide it on the pitch with our victory,” he said on Friday. A team meeting in the team hotel to watch the rivals’ games together on television is not planned. “No, no, no. We have to recover,” said Alonso.
The offensive man was the match winner as a joker in Bayer 04’s 2-0 win in the quarter-final first leg of the Europa League against West Ham United with a goal and an assist. Even after the 42nd competitive game of the season, Leverkusen remains unbeaten. The dream of a triple of championship, European Cup and DFB Cup lives on. After the game, the euphoric fans gave Hofmann and his teammates a foretaste of what could soon await them. “We all got goosebumps because we realized what could happen on Sunday,” said Hofmann.
Party planning is underway
The whole of Leverkusen is preparing for a memorable title celebration. The stadium is completely sold out. In order to still be there, some fans pay many times more than the original ticket price on the black market. Numerous partygoers are expected around the BayArena – even without an admission ticket. Roads will be closed four hours before the game, earlier than usual. The city has published a list of pubs that will broadcast the Bremen game live.
Bayer’s performances give fans little reason to worry that the title might not come to fruition this weekend. Leverkusen is playing incredibly stable. The level of football is consistently high. The team also showed patience against West Ham once again this season and rewarded themselves with two late goals. Nothing seems to faze the Werkself. “It’s not luck,” said Alonso about his team’s frequent goals in the final stages. “There are reasons for this and we are working on these reasons.”
Meistermacher Alonso
The 42-year-old Basque’s contribution to the upcoming masterpiece cannot be overestimated. In his first major coaching position, the former world-class footballer formed an almost invincible collective out of outstanding individual players.
“There are no egoists, we fight for the team,” said Xhaka, the team’s leader on the pitch. “We work, we fight, we play, we run, we discuss on and off the pitch. That’s what makes a top team.” The 31-year-old added: “You win games with a few players, but as a team you win titles.” It should happen on Sunday.
dpa
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