Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga title with five matches to spare, leaving a huge gap behind them such that perennial winners Bayern Munich will struggle to comprehend. But that would be for rivals to think about not the BayArena heroes.
At the start of the season when they leapfrogged Bayern Munich and pushed all title rivals to the shadows, no one gave them a chance. One thing was guaranteed, this is Bayer ‘Neverkusen’ so what could go right this time around?
No one would have been faulted for their perception of the club because there was evidence to back such. The club is literally referred to as runner-up specialists have been through similar situations in the past. They were frequent at finals but never managed to place first and have bottled a number of chances to win the Bundesliga including their 2001/02 meltdown.
However, the insane job done by Xabi Alonso had the team end their thirst of a cup in decades on Sunday night. Xabi and his group of fantastic players went into the game with a master plan of keeping their anxiety of not winning the cup for long behind themselves and focus on possessing more of the ball and keeping a tight defense.
Good bye ‘Neverkusen’
Bayer enjoyed a period of possession as they exchanged passes and waited for the opportunity to strike. One did arrive in the 25th minute when they were awarded a penalty. Nigerian striker Victor Boniface stepped and calmly slotted Michael Zetterer to put Die Werkself ahead.
Serial winner and former Arsenal Granit Xhaka gave Xabi’s men a cushion on the hour mark. Things were wrapped up pretty soon with Florian Wirtz adding three more to complete a perfect crowning moment.
Reacting to the feat he choked just under two seasons, Xabi Alonso did not hold back in savoring the moment.
“It is always special when it’s the time of everything and when it’s the first time of a Bundesliga title. That is the most difficult title probably. And I’m so happy to enjoy it with the players, with the fans, with the club and so many people that deserved to really, really enjoy that moment.”
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He has accomplished in less than two seasons what the club has failed since it begun trying in the late 1990s. The Spaniard was hooked up from Real Sociedad B for a team that was fighting relegation after just eight matches into the new season.
Strong mentality
Bayer has always suffered from the Vizekusen or Neverkusen curse following that 2002 collapse. But Xabi after his magic told reporters he does not have that in his veins.
“The mentality of losing key matches? Because I was not here for so long, that was not in my veins so deep, so probably I was lighter. The weight of history wasn’t that heavy inside me. So I was hearing that, but I said, okay, let’s see what happens. And I had a feeling that this year we started from scratch, taking many right decisions, and building a great team, the club, Simon, Fernando, and Mister Menning, were really supportive. We had from the beginning of the season that it could be a good season, that we had a good team to play a good season.”
And even before the season ends, they have made a bigger name that now eclipses the Neverkusen tag. They are Bundesliga champions for the first time in their history and they did so by putting an end to the more than decade-long dominance of Bayern Munich.
With 74 goals scored and 19 conceded, they are the fourth best scoring team in Europe’s top five leagues and the second meanest defense across the top divisions in Europe. They remain the only undefeated team in Europe and could possibly add more trophies to their collections. Xabi’s men will engage 1.FC Kaiserslautern in the DFB Pokal final on May 25. A 2-0 first leg advantage against West Ham in the Europa League means they can possibly advance to the the last four and if they can maintain their unbeaten run and keep finding goals, no one will stop them from heading to the Aviva Stadium in Ireland for the final.
For now, it is no more Neverkusen.