The exuberant championship party was followed by the mood killer in Dublin. With the cup win, which seems like a must, Bayer Leverkusen wants to end the historic season with another title. The double.
With frustration and a now-more-than-ever attitude, Leverkusen goes into the unequal DFB Cup final against second division side 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Saturday (May 25, 2025, live on Das Erste from 7 p.m.). After the bitter 0-3 defeat in the Europa League final against Atalanta Bergamo, the German champions are now hoping for a glorious end to a historic season.
Listen to the DFB Cup live: Kaiserslautern against Leverkusen DFB Cup final – Bayer Leverkusen against Kaiserslautern, on 25 May from 7 p.m.
Coach Alonso: “We have to turn pain into energy”
“If not a triple, then a double. We still have the chance to play an almost perfect season,” said midfield strategist Granit Xhaka after Dublin’s title dream was shattered. Coach Xabi Alonso gave the slogan: “We have to turn the pain into energy.”
Xhaka is taking his team, which had been unbeaten for almost a year until last Wednesday, to task. “Now we have to see what kind of character this team really has,” said the Swiss. “Of course it’s easier when everything is going well. When you don’t lose 51 games, it’s easy to stand together and laugh. Now is the time to see which players have character and can get back up quickly.”
Celebration with up to 80,000 fans expected
After the disappointment, Leverkusen want to show a mix of self-confidence and defiance against the clear underdog. “We have never had a situation like this before,” said Xhaka. However, sporting director Simon Rolfes stressed that his team “has often shown in games that they can get back up again.”
In addition, the strength this season “emerged from the disappointment of the past.” Leverkusen wants to let out the anger. But in the back of the minds of one or two of the professionals, there may also be fears of spoiling the mood at the end of this unique season, especially in the final spurt and before the celebration on Sunday in Leverkusen with up to 80,000 expected fans.
“We all know that this season has to end on a happier note,” said captain and goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky. “That’s why we have to deal with this terrible feeling and let out our anger on Saturday.” Defence chief Jonathan Tah sees it similarly. “We can’t let this one defeat ruin everything.”
