Already during the summer break, many had Bayer Leverkusen on their list as the secret favorite in the Bundesliga. And the first matchday showed that the Werkself can really do that.
Yussuf Poulsen was very impressed. A week ago, RB Leipzig had disenchanted FC Bayern 3-0 in the Supercup. Now his actually not disappointing team at 2: 3 in the Bundesliga opener from Bayer Leverkusen showed the limits. The first thing Poulsen was asked was what was different from the previous week against Bayern. And he answered without hesitation: “It was another opponent!”
So is Bayer better than Bayern? Cross-comparisons are forbidden, even if there is only a week between the games. But after the good second half of last season under coach Xabi Alonso and the strong transfer summer, the Werkself already had many on the list as secret favourites. And since the impressive performance on Saturday against the cup winner and last year’s third, there will be even more.
Nobody in Leverkusen has ever said the word “championship”. But they don’t stack particularly deep at Bayer either. “It was clear from the outset: Whoever wins this game – and that was us – is making a statement. And that’s what I think it is,” said national player Jonas Hofmann, who came from Mönchengladbach. A statement that his trainer Alonso received with a smile. “That was a statement for next Saturday,” he said: “We’re just watching from game to game.”
Bayer’s Alonso: “Of course we have ambitions”
But the former world and European champion as a player also announced that he would like to draw a small interim conclusion in two weeks. “The three games before the first international break are very important,” he said. “If we start well, we might have a good chance of a good ending.” Until then, Bayer is still playing in Mönchengladbach and against newly promoted Darmstadt, right after the break it’s off to Bayern on Friday. “Of course we have ambitions,” said Alonso, repeating: “But we can’t be stupid.” That means: don’t let yourself be lulled by the many hymns of praise.
But how the newly formed Bayer team dealt with the many advance laurels over the summer break at the start against Leipzig was actually a statement. And a conscious one at that. “We wanted to send a signal that all the teams that come to us can’t hope for anything,” said the new midfield boss Granit Xhaka, who returned to the Bundesliga after seven years at Arsenal.
In general, the newcomers had a strong influence. Club boss Fernando Carro had reported in advance that the five players brought in by Saturday were “always our top one candidates”: “It’s not that often the case that it succeeds.” Everyone played against Leipzig, four were in the starting XI. “We saw a clear influence,” said Alonso: “The stability, the quality, the behavior in possession were a little better. And for me it’s easier when I have better players.” Which have made Leverkusen a real secret favorite since Saturday at the latest.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
