After the Leverkusen team saved their super series with another show of strength, they were celebrated by their fans like winners.
Coach Xabi Alonso’s team owed the fact that Bayer remained unbeaten even after winning their first championship title in the Bundesliga early to a successful comeback and a last-minute goal in the 2-2 (0-0) draw against VfB Stuttgart by national player Robert Andrich (90.6). The draw means the works club can no longer break the points record in a season, but that hardly dampened the Leverkusen team’s joy.
“It was important that we went for it up front. We wanted to score a goal at all costs, and then we believed in it until the end and played forward,” Andrich said afterwards on Sky: “That shows that the team did not want to lose the game.” Goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky said: “Incredible, I have no words for it.” Coach Alonso was also very impressed by his team’s renewed energetic performance. He himself was emotionally involved on the sidelines: After his fourth yellow card, the Spaniard is suspended for the next league game in Frankfurt.
46th competitive game of the season without defeat
Bayer had made up a 2-0 deficit against third-placed teams and remained undefeated in their 46th competitive game of the season. “We played such a strong game, it hurts extremely,” said VfB goalkeeper Alexander Nübel.
The new national players Chris Führich (47th) and Deniz Undav (57th) gave the guests a 2-0 lead. Amine Adli (61st) shortened the score and Andrich scored the final point. However, Bayer can only reach 90 points at the end of the season. FC Bayern’s points record of 91 points from the 2012/13 season will therefore remain. The first season without defeat is still possible for Bayer after 31 league and 46 competitive games and a year with various records. On Thursday, coach Alonso’s team has to play in the semi-finals of the Europa League at AS Roma.
After the 1-1 draw in the first leg, Stuttgart, like only Borussia Dortmund, remained unbeaten in both games against the new champions and consolidated third place. With a seven point lead over fifth place and three games left, the team that was almost relegated in the last two years probably doesn’t have to rely on the possible exception of five Bundesliga teams in the premier class in the fight for a place in the Champions League.
Stuttgart stood up to Leverkusen from the start
Both teams were missing the most important stabilizers in midfield in Granit Xhaka and Angelo Stiller. And the respect for each other was huge. Alonso had previously described VfB, whose team had come closer to defeat than almost any other team in the 1-1 draw in the first leg and 2-3 in the cup quarter-finals after leading twice, as “one of the best teams in Europe in this one “Season” ennobled.
And as in the previous two games, the Swabians stood up to the champions from the start. They sought salvation in an offensive orientation and aggressive style of play and initially even had significantly more possession of the ball. That was almost rewarded in the 14th minute when VfB striker Serhou Guirassy headed centimeters past a cross from Leonidas Stergiou from seven meters. Leverkusen’s first big chance even came from a counterattack when Alejandro Grimaldo was first denied by Stuttgart’s keeper Nübel and Patrik Schick clearly volleyed the second attempt over (29′).
VfB got off to a lightning start in the second half
VfB got off to a lightning start in the second half. Jamie Leweling hit the post from a tight angle and Führich converted the rebound 68 seconds after the restart. Nine minutes later, Undav prevailed against Andrich in the duel between the national players and added his 18th goal of the season. Now it became a wild exchange of blows. Guirassy missed the 0:3 (60′), a few seconds later Adli shortened the score.
Bayer now pressed with all their might, but Nübel made an outstanding save against Adli and the follow-up shot against Jonas Hofmann (65th minute). In the 74th minute, Alonso brought on Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface, who had been rested for a long time. Leverkusen increased the pressure – and were rewarded for it in the end.
