Only remaining hope for the premier class
©IMAGO
The VfB Stuttgart professionals were still being celebrated by their fans when Leverkusen’s managing director Fernando Carro took the elevator down. It was a symbolic image: Bayer is starting the new season internationally one level lower than VfB. Stuttgart and TSG Hoffenheim will probably fight for fourth place in the Bundesliga’s Champions League on the last matchday. For Leverkusen, the sensational champions of 2024, only the Europa League would remain.
In the race for the premier class, the Swabians’ starting position has improved significantly thanks to the fireworks in the convincing 3:1 (2:1) win against the Werkself. The DFB Cup winner is back in fourth place before the 34th and final matchday. In the away game in Frankfurt next Saturday (3:30 p.m./Sky) it is now important to keep behind Hoffenheim, who are tied on points and have a goal difference that is five goals worse and have to go to Mönchengladbach. And of course the Leverkusen team, who were three points behind before their appearance against HSV and were served accordingly on Saturday.
“If we are completely honest with ourselves, it is simply not enough for the Champions League this year,” said Bayer captain Robert Andrich (31) after the defeat in the key duel with VfB. Everyone in the club would have to admit that “we simply weren’t good enough for certain things.” In the team there are “many characters who have a lot to do with themselves” and too few players who would lead in difficult situations.
Bayer sports director Simon Rolfes also wants more “resilience,” which Andrich spoke about. “Today was a symbol of our season. As soon as things get tight and difficult, we don’t manage to stay together as a team,” said the DFB player. “That’s something that annoys me extremely because it’s a team thing.” The already controversial coach Kasper Hjulmand is likely to come into focus even more if he misses the premier class. “We didn’t come close to beating Stuttgart for over 90 minutes,” summed up Andrich, who also criticized himself. “I have to take a lot of blame for that. I’ve often stood here after games in which we didn’t get into the game. The mistake must be somewhere.”
VfB striker Demirovic shows what Bayer Leverkusen is missing
Things work exactly differently in Stuttgart. “It was one of our best games of the season,” praised VfB sports director Fabian Wohlgemuth after the convincing performance against Leverkusen and also referred again to the first leg. At the beginning of January, the Swabians even beat the Werkself 4-1 away. Ermedin Demirovic (28) made the big difference on Saturday in Stuttgart. The VfB attacker embodied everything that the Bayer professionals were missing. He not only scored the quick equalizer after Leverkusen’s lightning lead. He also had many other dangerous shots, secured the ball at the front and threw himself passionately into every duel.
“He played an outstanding game,” said VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß. “He works like a wild pig for the team.” Demirovic is exactly made for games like this. He gets himself into the right mental condition for this and also manages to “set the others on fire.” Sports director Wohlgemuth also found the performance of the 28-year-old, who was always and everywhere, “excellent”. It was already clear during training during the week that “we would deliver fireworks on the pitch,” said Demirovic himself.
The Hoffenheim team couldn’t do that against Werder Bremen (1-0), but it was still enough to get a three-pointer in the lead. TSG coach Christian Ilzer has turned a team that was almost relegated into a Champions League contender within a short space of time. “We won our semi-final, now our final awaits in Gladbach,” said the 48-year-old. The race for the European Cup millions is entering the home stretch. VfB is not only in pole position, but also thanks to “Wildsau” Demirovic, with Hoffenheim close behind. After the latest slip-up, Bayer can only see the taillights.
But Andrich doesn’t want to give up yet. “Anything can happen,” said the Bayer captain, hoping for two failures by his rivals on the last match day. The goal difference would then speak in favor of the Werkself. But he is also aware of the minimal chances. “For us it’s also about a little holiday money that we can earn. We have to win our game and then we have to pray.”
