When Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen said goodbye to their fans for the short winter break with a small Christmas concert after the final whistle, match winner Patrik Schick posed in the spotlight with a Santa hat and the game ball.
“I’m very happy, I couldn’t have imagined it better,” said the Czech after his hat trick in the 4-0 (3-0) win against VfL Bochum.
“Beautiful football, lots of chances. This is exactly the kind of football we want to present in the new year,” said Schick, who only celebrated his comeback at the end of October after a persistent adductor injury and a year’s break and was now starting again in the league for the first time .
His numbers have been impressive since his return: six goals across all competitions in just 241 minutes – and he’s still far from back in top form. “I’m not 100 percent fit yet. I feel that something is still missing, I can play much better,” said Schick.
Since storm rival Victor Boniface will probably be going to the Africa Cup of Nations (January 13th to February 11th) with Nigeria, Schick will be even more in demand in the new year – and first and foremost the number one striker. “Of course it won’t be easy, but you’ve seen: we have a big squad, a lot of quality. This is an opportunity for the others,” said Schick.
The magical invincible series should continue and the starting record of currently 25 competitive games in a row without defeat since the start of the season should be further expanded.
“I don’t know if anyone expected that. We very much deserved all the points,” said Schick. So is the first championship title in the club’s history also included? “We have good chances, but it’s only half time.”