A solo for Bayer Leverkusen?

“Vizekusen” will soon be history. A 3-0 demonstration in the top game against defending champions Bayern Munich allows Bayer Leverkusen to finally dream of the first German football championship title in the club’s history. With 13 laps to go, the Werkself are five points ahead of the series champions and the only remaining serious pursuers.

Leverkusen is still undefeated after their 31st competitive game this season (27 wins, four draws), and captain Lukas Hradecky described the mood in the team as “pure euphoria.” “We can celebrate today, maybe tomorrow too,” added coach Xabi Alonso, who many see as the architect of the successful run. His club ennobled the Spaniard on social media as “El Profesor” after another tactical masterpiece.

However, hardly anyone in Leverkusen still uses the words “championship” or “title”. At Bayer you are a burned child. In 2000, the club lost what they thought was a certain championship title to Bayern in the last round, and two years later they not only lost the Champions League final against Real Madrid, but also only finished runner-up in the championship and DFB Cup.

“Still 13 steps to go”

Now Leverkusen are reaching for the double. In the cup semi-finals, the draw gave them the second division team Düsseldorf as their opponents. The other favorites have all long since been eliminated. Leverkusen has already won the DFB Cup once in 1993, but never the championship trophy. “We know that we are competing with Bayern, it’s not just anyone. We have to stay humble,” said Hradecky: “But we know what we can do.”

The gala performance against Munich was “a great step in our season marathon,” said the goalkeeper. At the end of the day, these are only three points. “There are still 13 steps to go.”

The father of success also remains cautious. “We’re happy, of course. But it’s only February,” explained Alonso, who won no fewer than 18 titles in his professional career with Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern. The Basque is a meticulous worker who leaves nothing to chance.

In the title fight, he didn’t shy away from taking any risks. In the showdown with Bayern, he rotated stars Jeremie Frimpong, Patrick Schick and Jonas Hofmann from the team. Frimpong representative and Bayern loanee Josip Stanisic scored the opening goal, and substitute Frimpong himself made it 3-0 with an artificial shot into the empty goal. In retrospect, Alonso did everything right again.

This doesn’t necessarily apply to his Bayern counterpart Thomas Tuchel. The 50-year-old had thrown the usual four-man defense overboard and called up a third central defender. “I take responsibility for the tactics, but that wasn’t the point,” said Tuchel. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer spoke of one of the worst performances.