The dress rehearsal went haywire, the winning streak in the Bundesliga ended in the derby against 1. FC Köln – and yet demonstratively full of anticipation: Bayer Leverkusen is looking forward to the Europa League semifinals against AS Roma and star coach José Mourinho.
Robert Andrich was particularly hurt by the fact that archrival Bayer Leverkusen had put a damper on the most important game for years.
“It’s the most bitter way a series can break: against Cologne, in the derby, in the BayArena – it doesn’t get any worse than that,” said the Leverkusen midfield clearer after the 1-2 (1-2) in the Bundesliga derby against 1. FC Cologne.
And while the Cologne players and their fans celebrated this derby victory and the almost certain relegation for a long time, Andrich demonstratively looked ahead.
Leverkusen looks “full of anticipation towards Rome” after the derby blunder
While he was upset about the defeat, he admitted, the focus is now on the Europa League semi-finals at AS Roma. The team travels “full of anticipation towards Rome,” Andrich said before the first duel on Thursday (9:00 p.m. / RTL): “It will be something very special for all of us, we’re looking forward to it.”
Leverkusen’s sports director Simon Rolfes, who expects a “heated game” in a “cauldron” in Italy, saw it in a similar way. The first defeat after 14 competitive games should not upset the team, he emphasized: “We are in very, very good shape, even if the series has broken.”
Nevertheless, there was cause for criticism. The team tried too frantically to make up for the deficit after Davie Selke’s brace (14th, 36th) and lacked patience, said Rolfes.
Coach Xabi Alonso also emphasized that his team should learn from the defeat: “We didn’t have enough control in the game. It was very fast. It’s important for us to be in control.”
Leverkusen botched Derby despite bringing it forward
Amine Adli (28th) had made it 1-1 in the meantime, but that was all it could take – also because “calmness, ambition, determination, toughness” were missing, as Andrich listed. Despite the playful superiority, “nothing compelling came out” – so Andrich concluded: “It was not enough.”
Leverkusen had the game against Cologne moved from Sunday to Friday by applying to the German Football League (DFL) in order to have more preparation and regeneration time for the Europa League.
Despite the defeat, this controversial step was “good” because “we have more time,” said Alonso. They want to use this time to “hopefully prepare better”.
After all, the biggest game on the international stage since losing the Champions League final in 2002 against Real Madrid awaits Leverkusen on Thursday. “It will be very nice for the club, for the club,” said Alonso: “Being in Europe in the semifinals hasn’t happened often in history. We want to do it as well as possible.”