The Bundesliga title race seems to be all but decided before the top contenders even meet next weekend.
Defending champions Bayer Leverkusen struggled to keep up with Bayern Munich, who are currently at the top of the league. On Saturday, Leverkusen was held to a goalless draw by Wolfsburg, just a day after Bayern comfortably defeated Werder Bremen 3-0.
As a result, Leverkusen now finds itself eight points behind Bayern, ahead of their much-anticipated clash next Saturday. The team had hoped that this upcoming match could bring them within three points of Bayern, but their slip-up at Wolfsburg has made it extremely difficult for Leverkusen to defend their first-ever league title.
No team has ever closed such a significant gap at this point in the Bundesliga season to win the championship.
Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukáš Hrádecký admitted, “The gap is now too large. It’s the difference from last season – the games we’re drawing now, we won last year. That’s where the eight-point gap comes from. After this weekend, it’s going to be even harder to reach our goal, our dream again.”
Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso was questioned about his decision to make eight changes to the team that played against Cologne in the German Cup on Wednesday. Additionally, there was curiosity surrounding his choice to only bring on star player Florian Wirtz for the last 30 minutes of the match against Wolfsburg.
After the match, Xabi Alonso responded to questions about his decisions, saying, “It’s easy to analyze a game afterward. But yes, Flo had played a major role over 120 minutes against Cologne. We wanted to give him some rest, and the plan was to bring him on in the second half. His impact was positive.”
When asked about the eight-point gap and the upcoming match against Bayern, Alonso maintained his focus. He stated, “We’re playing Bayern at home, in a top match with great atmosphere. Our focus is on what we can achieve and our goals. We still have time to prepare. After a busy few weeks with midweek games, we need a short break. No major concerns, we’ll continue working.”
The draw against Wolfsburg marked Leverkusen’s eighth dropped point out of 21 matches this season. Last season, Alonso’s team was unbeaten, with just six draws across 34 rounds.
Responding to more questions about the eight-point gap, Alonso emphasized, “The goal is to win. You keep asking about the standings, but I try not to focus on that too much. We’re playing Bayern at home, and we’ll aim to win.”
Alonso also mentioned that his players will be more rested for the upcoming match against Bayern compared to their performance in Wolfsburg. Leverkusen secured direct qualification for the Champions League knockout phase, giving them a rare week off, while Bayern will travel to Celtic on Wednesday for the first leg of their Champions League playoff, with the return leg in Munich the following Tuesday.
Leverkusen’s goalkeeper Lukáš Hrádecký hasn’t lost hope for the Bundesliga title. He said, “The gap has increased, but if we win next week, it could still work out. We’re still alive, but we need a win now.”