Jonas Hofmann had to wait more than five months for this personal experience of success. After his goal in the 2-0 win against West Ham United, the offensive player now wants to become German champion on Sunday – but without outside help.
The match winner on Thursday evening was Jonas Hofmann. IMAGO/Uwe Kraft
He was the match winner. Only coming on as a substitute in the 76th minute, Jonas Hofmann played a decisive role in the 2-0 win against West Ham United with a goal and an assist. It wasn’t a perfect game for the 31-year-old, who last scored in a 2-1 win against Freiburg at the end of October. “No, I should have played there from the start,” he explained.
Because unlike in the first half of the season, Hofmann is currently no longer an undisputed starting eleven. After twelve scorer points in the first twelve league games, things haven’t been going so well lately. So his successful Joker appearance was balm for the wounds.
Xabi Alonso: “It’s a good impulse for Jonas”
Xabi Alonso also knows this, who spoke to the national player directly after the game. “After the games against Mainz and Hoffenheim, Jonas had the feeling that he had chances to shoot, but no luck. It was an important moment for him, including the assist for Boniface. For Jonas it is a good impulse for the last six weeks.” , explained the coach.
Hofmann himself is also hoping for this effect. “It’s very, very good when you haven’t scored for a while or the scorers have simply been missing. It’s nice that the can opener has come. Hopefully that’s it for a very important week in the cup competitions.”
How does Leverkusen actually do that?
Bayer 04 Leverkusen are also playing against West Ham United and are on the verge of the first championship in the club’s history. kicker reporter Stephan von Nocks explains how this was all possible. Also: Almuth Schult is back in Germany – and Alexander Nübel extends his contract in Munich, but remains in Stuttgart.
5 hours 15:39 minutes ago
In the championship, Hofmann and Co. would like to collect the rewards they deserve this weekend. If Bayer 04 beats Werder Bremen on Sunday, the factory club’s first championship title will be perfect. The Bayer team got a foretaste of the emotions that would erupt after the final whistle against West Ham.
Hofmann calls for humility and calm for the Werder game
“The fans were already singing it, it gave you goosebumps because it was clear to everyone what could happen on Sunday,” says Hofmann, who announced: “We will go into the game full of anticipation, but with a certain amount of humility and calm. We don’t want to go crazy, of course we want to decide the championship on Sunday. But there’s still a lot to do.”
Incidentally, it is the right-footer’s express wish that Bayer still has to do something to win the title on Sunday. The ex-Gladbacher doesn’t want to become champion on Saturday in front of the TV. This would be the case if both Bayern lost to Cologne and Stuttgart lost to Frankfurt. Then Bayer 04 would no longer be able to catch up.
Especially when almost everyone becomes German champion for the first time, you don’t want to experience it on the couch.
But that shouldn’t happen, says Hofmann, who will watch the games himself from his sofa at home. “I hope we can decide for ourselves. Especially when almost everyone becomes German champion for the first time, you don’t want to experience that with a drink of water on the couch the day before you play. You can’t really feel the emotions let it out if you’re not with the group you did it with and you’re not in this stadium.”
The curious consequence of this: “That’s why,” explains Hofmann, “I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Bavaria and Stuttgart.” Who would have thought something like this was possible just two weeks ago?!
2024-04-12 16:24:09
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