Leverkusen hope to end title wait against Bayern
THE dominating giant of the Bundesliga take on the nearly men of German football when Bayern Munich face Bayer Leverkusen in Saturday’s German Cup final.
Bayern have already lifted the Bundesliga title, their eighth in a row, in this coronavirus altered season and now wish to add another cup to their bulging trophy cabinet.
Leverkusen in contrast have not tasted success since 1993 despite going close on eight occasions across Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League.
Coach Peter Bosz’s side are sometimes brilliant when their attack, focused around rumoured Bayern target Kai Havertz, clicks. They can also produce weak performances though and stumbled late in the season to finish fifth and miss the Champions League spots.
Winning the cup would largely atone for that even if their fans cannot attend in Berlin with the game behind closed doors due to the coronavirus crisis.
“The atmosphere before, during and after the final was always very special,” said Leverkusen defender Sven Bender. “It will be different this time round. But that’s not a problem for us.
“There is great anticipation as the club hasn’t been in a final for a long time. We are all eager to win this title.”
When the German champions get going, they are hard to stop but a surprise is not impossible but they did lose the 2018 cup final to Eintracht Frankfurt.
A repeat of 2013’s treble also remains on with the Champions League still to resume from suspension in August. Such a season is remarkable given the team’s struggles under former coach Niko Kovac early on.
But Hansi Flick’s arrival in November signalled a turnaround with Bayern now unbeaten in their last 25 competitive games, winning 24.
“It was a difficult but ultimately very strong campaign,” said striker Robert Lewandowski, top scorer in the Bundesliga with 34 goals.
Bayern are on a 16match winning streak which includes a 4-2 romp at Leverkusen despite giving their hosts a goal of a start.
But Leverkusen did win in Munich early in Flick’s reign, even if luck was on their side in that 2-1 triumph.
“Since then, they have come on a long way. They are incredibly
Sky Sport Italia.
“We weren’t sharp enough in front of goal, we were too hurried and hasty in the final third.” – AFP
season alongside his Spanish teammate. He matched Sainz’s pace and often out-qualified him. With a full season under his belt, he should improve and establish himself among the drivers at the head of the chasing pack.