Bayer Leverkusen is embarrassed with Arminia Bielefeld with a puzzling weak performance. The cup bankruptcy is likely to leave traces.
“We have to honestly say that Bielefeld deserves in the final. And if that is the case, we did a lot wrong today.” National player Robert Andrich found clear words after Leverkusen’s sensational 1: 2 (1: 2) defeat in the semi-finals of the DFB Cup at Arminia Bielefeld. “It was by far the worst game this season. he said on Tuesday at the sports show microphone.
Leverkusen is a double winner, was a Champions League quarter finalist, Bayern chases in the Bundesliga. But against the third -class Arminia there was never anything to see from a class difference. Bayer hardly played out any chances and the trump cups did not stood: Top scorer Patrik Schick set a header on the outdoor post in the 81st minute – an opportunity that he rarely missed. And the six -minute stoppage time, in which the Werkself has already shot games so often, passed unused.
Alonso: “Don’t deserve to be in the cup final”
“We weren’t good enough, we didn’t deserve to stand in the cup final”, said coach Xabi Alonso. “I missed many things, quality, energy …” An obvious explanation: Without the injured playmaker Florian Wirtz, creativity was missing. Alonso didn’t want to know anything about it. “It’s easy to say. Of course we miss Flo, but we also won games without him. Today it was collective not a good game.”
Sports Managing Director Simon Rolfes also did not want to determine the result of the Wirtz personnel. He missed intensity and presence in the duels. “We have not broadcast a dominance, as a team and in the individual duels”, said Rolfes. These are the principles of football and “Things that we can show without Florian”.
Disassemble Hintaca and Mukiele
It was no surprise that Leverkusen did not show magic football on the bumpy lawn in Bielefeld and rarely got combined. Technicians like Alex Grimaldo, Jeremie Frimpong and Amine Adli remained unobtrusive. However, it was astonishing that Ezequiel Palacios, Granit Xhaka and Robert Andrich did not manage to control the action in the midfield, which was strongly established.
In addition, there were driving services in the defense chain of Piero Hincapie and Nordi Mukiele. The fact that goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky had the sharp free kick flank of Luis Oppie flying through his five -meter space in front of the 1-2.
Rolfes: Return of Wirtz before the summer break
After the sensational pre -season, one year now threatens without a title. In the past it was normal in Leverkusen, a season with Champions League quarter-finals, DFB Cup semi-final and probably the runner-up would have been a huge success. But the demands have grown, that also shows the dispute between Xhaka and an ultra after the game. The cup final was firmly planned in view of the semi -final opponent from the third division.
It will now be exciting how the team reacts. Wirtz will probably get fit again before the summer break, said Rolfes. But the next tasks in the league should come too early. And there is Leverkusen against the relegation candidates Heidenheim, Union Berlin and St. Pauli again clear favorite and has to come up with something in a playful way – without Wirtz.