With the Argentine Exequiel Palacios as one of its outstanding players, Bayer Leverkusen He is one game away from making history. If they defeat on Sunday in their stadium Werder Bremen, They will become undefeated Bundesliga champions and lift the title for the first time. It will no longer be Don’t cry, and he will do it with everything: undefeated. The maker of such a football miracle is Spanish, his name is Xabi Alonso and he is the fashionable coach in Europe. Two giants disputed it like Bayern Munich y Liverpool for next season, but he has already announced that he will stay on the Worker team. Like Palacios, Robert Andrich y Florian Wirtz. The team is going for everything: it is in the final of the German Cup and beat West Ham 2-0 in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals.
“We are very stable in the head”, Alonso said less than 48 hours before the match with Bremen. There will be no excess of confidence. “The expectation is great. It couldn’t be bigger. If we win, we will be champions”, summarized the Basque coach. The match is set to be a great title celebration for Leverkusen, ready to finally shed its second-place image (it was second in the Bundesliga on five occasions) and take over from the eternal champion, Bayern Münich.
“We know that on Sunday we can make history: for the clubfor the fans and also for ourselves,” declared the Swiss Granit Xhakaformer player of Arsenal and team captain. The midfielder added: “We should not be overly motivated”. All the footballers in the Leverkusen locker room are aware of the importance of the first league in history.
Children born after 2012 They have never experienced a German champion other than Bayern. The Pope at that time was still Benedict XVI. Michael Schumacher he was driving in his last Formula 1 season. Lionel Messi I played in Barcelona, Cristiano Ronaldo in Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappé in the INF Clairefontaine youth team.
With 16 points ahead after the twenty-eighth round, it is clear that the Leverkusen will end the streak of Bayern in the championship. The only question is, then, when will the title be decided? Jonas Hofmannauthor of the first goal against West Ham by Europa Leaguehas a clear desire in this regard. “I hope we can decide it ourselves.”said the attacker. “Especially when you can become German champion for the first time, you don’t want to do it at home on the couch with a glass of water the day before playing.”
So, the 31-year-old footballer will become another fan of the competition on Saturday, crossing his fingers during the matches. Bayern-Colonia y Stuttgart-Eintracht Frankfurt. If Bayern and Stuttgart lose, Leverkusen would be champions before their own match on Sunday. “You can’t even let your emotions out if you’re not with the group you achieved it with.”declared Hoffmann.
The attacker was the main protagonist in the 2-0 victory for Leverkusen in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals against West Ham United, with a goal and an assist. Leverkusen remains undefeated after its 42nd official match of the season. The dream of winning the treble of the League, European Cup and German Cup is still alive.
After the game, the euphoria of the fans foretold Hofmann and to his companions what will soon await them. “We all got goosebumps because we realized what could happen on Sunday”Hofmann confessed. All of Leverkusen is preparing for the title celebration. The stadium will be completely full. Those who do not yet have their ticket go to the resale to get their ticket. Many fans are expected around the BayArena stadium, even without a ticket.
The streets will be closed four hours before the game, earlier than usual. The city has published a list of pubs that will broadcast the match against Bremen live. The performance of Leverkusen There is no reason to fear that the title will not come this weekend: Alonso knows that he has a strong squad. During the week he spoke about his “wild cards”those replacement footballers who come in to rest the starters and fulfill their duties perfectly. The operation of the equipment does not suffer. Neither does identity.
“It’s not luck”Alonso stated about his team’s frequent goals in the final stretch of the games (against West Ham his team scored in the 83rd and 91st minutes). “There are reasons for this and we are working on those reasons”, he added. The 42-year-old Basque’s contribution to the upcoming masterpiece cannot be overestimated. In his first major coaching position, the former world and European champion has shaped an almost invincible team based on outstanding individual performances. Palacios, who has just returned to the team after a muscle injury, is one of the names of the potential German champion.
“There are no selfish people, we fight for the team”says Xhaka. “We work hard, we fight, we play, we run, we discuss things on and off the court. “That’s what makes a top team.” The 31-year-old player added: “Matches are won with a few players, but titles are won as a team”. Sunday should be the day.
(With information from the DPA agency).