Leverkusen goes into the first game of the Europa League against Häcken with a lot of self-confidence. It should only be the first step on a long journey.
A lot is going on right now Bayer Leverkusen round: In the Bundesliga, Xabi Alonso’s team has only just been able to prove that it is not for nothing that it is a candidate for the top spot. After the 2-2 draw in the top game against Bayern Munich, they finally greeted the national competition as leaders from the Bayer Cross. The Europa League begins for Leverkusen on Thursday (September 21st, 2023) against the Swedish club BK Häcken.
Bayer is “hungry for more”
After their performances in the league, but also by reaching the semi-finals in the Europa League last season, Leverkusen goes into the competition as one of the favorites, not only for the group. The elimination against AS Roma in the semi-finals was already rather unfortunate last season. “It still hurts us, but it made us hungry for more,” explained defense player Jonathan Tah.
“Hungry for more, for success” is the keyword: Leverkusen has impressed as a real top team so far this season and is still undefeated in competitive games. Tah gives reasons for Bayer’s current high: “Everyone feels very confident and comfortable on the pitch at the moment. That’s why it works so well. Also because nobody is satisfied that it only works once, but we repeat it over and over again. Because “Once isn’t enough, we want it every game.”
Häcken progressed through qualification
Since the semi-final exit against Rome, the Werkself have seemingly gained more consistency and breadth in the squad. Leverkusen has scored at least two goals in every game this season. It is these statistics that push their opponent BK Häcken into the absolute outsider role.
The small Swedish club with an average of just around 4,700 spectators is the first international opponent for Bayer. The Swedes easily eliminated Zalgiris Kaunas in the third qualifying round. Häcken then narrowly beat Aberdeen in the play-offs. “They have a clear plan of how they want to play. But we are well prepared,” assured coach Xabi Alonso before the game.
Dangerous striker
The Swedes are in third place in the league, but are only two points behind leaders Malmö FF after 23 match days. The fact that the league in Sweden is played over the calendar year could be a small advantage.
The team’s top scorer that Bayer should pay attention to is called Srdjan Hrstic. The 20-year-old scored three goals and provided one goal in qualifying for the Europa League. Tah was the first to mention Hrstic among players who are well-known in Leverkusen.
Alonso: “Fighting for the opportunity to go far”
Of course, it is not yet possible to predict where the international journey will take us. However, Alonso wouldn’t mind a similar success to last year: “We’re not thinking about Dublin (venue of the final, editor’s note), but first about Häcken, then Molde and Qarabag. But if we have the opportunity, we’ll fight for getting as far as possible.”
One thing is certain: if Bayer plays at anywhere near the level of the last few weeks, it could send the first exclamation mark to Europe.
