Bayer Leverkusen, who host Werder Bremen on Sunday, are one win away from winning their first Bundesliga title. However, Xabi Alonso’s men have another goal ahead of them – invincibility. No one in the German league has yet achieved that. However, it is important for Alonso and his team to first manage the last step and celebrate the title, preferably on Sunday in front of their fans.
Alonso won the Bundesliga three times as a player for Bayern Munich and could always pour beer on then-manager Pep Guardiola, which is a tradition in German football. Asked if he expected the same treatment, the Leverkusen coach told reporters at a press conference: “I haven’t thought about it. It’s best to be spontaneous, but I’m ready for it.”
Our coach >>> pic.twitter.com/qBx4Qz717V
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) April 12, 2024
“It’s not our only chance, but of course we want to win,” Alonso said ahead of Sunday’s match with Werder Bremen. “The fans deserve something to celebrate,” he added, adding that he thinks Bayern will not lose to Cologne on Saturday and Stuttgart will win the duel with Frankfurt. Otherwise, Bayer would celebrate the title even before their match.
Even Jonas Hofmann would like to avoid this. “When you’re about to become the German champion for the first time in history, you definitely don’t want to celebrate at home on the couch. Moreover, with a glass of water in hand, the day before your team’s match. In short, you can’t let the emotions boil over if you’re not together with the team with which you achieved such success. It’s much more pleasant to celebrate together. That’s why I’ll be cheering for Bayern and Stuttgart on Saturday,” he told DPA.
#Alonso: “If we become champions on Saturday, on the sofa, that would be a big surprise for me. To be honest, I would rather celebrate the victory on the pitch.”#B04SVW #Bundesliga | #Bayer04 #Werkself pic.twitter.com/gydv4sh6Y0
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) April 12, 2024
Alonso said his team, nicknamed the Neverkusen because they have always failed at crucial moments in history, will not be intimidated by their reputation. “We have to focus on our game and believe in our qualities and mentality,” he said.
The unexpected hero Andrich
There are several members of the Leverkusen squad who have contributed significantly to the great season so far, one of them being Robert Andrich. At the same time, the German midfielder was far from reaching his potential before Alonso’s arrival.
Robert Andrich can hardly believe it.
Leverkusen could potentially clinch the Bundesliga title already this weekend, although they won’t get to lift the trophy until the final matchday. pic.twitter.com/qL53PD2O7k
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) April 11, 2024
However, he now has three trophies at his fingertips (DFB-Pokal, Bundesliga and Europa League), and he was also called up to the German national team for the first time. “I don’t think I can even describe it. I would probably collapse,” the 29-year-old midfielder told the Einfach Mal Luppen podcast. “I will realize what we have achieved this year only after the season on vacation,” he added.
No one has yet achieved invincibility
If Alonso’s men manage to complete the title win, they still have a lot to play for. They are still undefeated with six games to go and if they manage to finish the year in this spirit, they would be the first to do so.
In an interview published by the German magazine Kicker on Thursday, Leverkusen captain Lukáš Hradecky said that if his team beat Bremen on Sunday, they will definitely not let up in their efforts.
Program Bayeru Leverkusen. (©Livesport)
“We want to create something special. It’s not enough for us to win the championship,” said the Finnish representative. “There are only five games left after Sunday, it would be a shame not to finish,” he thinks.
Leverkusen extended their unbeaten run across all competitions to 42 games with a 2-0 win over West Ham in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. He currently has 76 points in the Bundesliga. Last season, Bayern and Dortmund finished on 71 points after 34 games, with the Bavarians taking the title thanks to a better score difference.
Table
1
Bayer Leverkusen
28
24
4
0
69 : 19
76
2
Bayern Munich
28
19
3
6
80 : 36
60
3
VfB Stuttgart
28
19
3
6
64 : 34
60
4
RB Leipzig
28
16
5
7
64 : 33
53
5
Borussia Dortmund
28
15
8
5
55 : 33
53
6
Eintracht Frankfurt
28
10
12
6
43 : 36
42
7
FC Augsburg
28
9
9
10
45 : 46
36
8
TSG Hoffenheim
28
10
6
12
48 : 53
36
9
SC Freiburg
28
10
6
12
40 : 52
36
10
1. FC Heidenheim
28
8
9
11
41 : 49
33
11
Borussia Monchengladbach
28
7
10
11
49 : 54
31
12
Werder Brémy
28
8
7
13
36 : 44
31
13
Union Berlin
28
8
5
15
25 : 43
29
14
VfL Wolfsburg
28
7
7
14
34 : 47
28
15
VfL Bochum
28
5
11
12
33 : 58
26
16
1. FSV Mainz 05
28
4
11
13
26 : 46
23
17
1. FC Cologne
28
4
10
14
23 : 49
22
18
SV Darmstadt
28
2
8
18
28 : 71
14
2024-04-12 21:10:20
#Leverkusen #chasing #Bundesliga #title #invincibility #Alonso #believes #team
