Bayer Leverkusen Maintain Key Bundesliga Presence With 4-1 Europa League Victory

Bayer Leverkusen has reached the semifinal of a European competition by beating Belgian side Union Saint-Gilles 4-1 (5-2 on aggregate) on Thursday thanks to goals by Moussa Diaby (2’), Mitchel Bakker (37’), Jeremie Frimpong (60’) and Adam Hlozek (79’). Casper Terho (65’) scored the only goal for the hosts.

It marks the first time Leverkusen has reached the semifinal of a European competition since the club reached the Champions League final in the 2001/02 season. That year, Die Werkself was narrowly beaten 2-1 by Real Madrid thanks to a wonder strike by legendary French midfielder Zinedine Zidane. It was also the year that Leverkusen finished second in the league, second in the DFB Pokal, and then a large portion of the squad also finished second in the World Cup behind Brazil.

That season marked the origin of the term Vizekusen (Neverkusen). It is a term that current head coach Xabil Alonso wants to stamp out at the club. And a title for Leverkusen would do just that for a club that has won nothing since the 1992/93 season when the club beat Hertha Berlin’s reserve side to win the DFB Pokal.

In fairness, Leverkusen has had success in the Europa League, or rather its predecessor, the UEFA
EFA
Cup, winning the competition in 1988 by beating Spanish side Espanol. Now Leverkusen is just 180 minutes away from reaching the final of a European competition once again. While beating Roma will be difficult, there is a sense of optimism around the club that this is the year for Leverkusen to end the title drought.

Director of sports Simon Rolfes has stressed in the past that the Europa League would be an excellent pathway to end Leverkusen’s wait for a title. “It is a big goal for us to win a title,” Rolfes said in an interview conducted in November 2019. “We have to have the ambitions to win the Europa League. It has to be our goal to play a key role in that competition.”

Now four years later, the club has a realistic chance of winning an international trophy. In fact, winning the Europa League might be the most straightforward pathway to the Champions League, as Leverkusen is currently sixth, seven points behind fourth-placed RB Leipzig.

“We are focused on the semi-finals and are looking forward to preparing well,” Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso said after the game to UEFA.com. “The energy is good. Being in the semi-finals is great, but once you get there, you want more. We will do everything to win.”

Alonso, of course, has been one of the major reasons for Leverkusen’s resurgence in the Bundesliga and the run of form in the Europa League. Since taking over the club in October, the Spaniard has overseen 29 games, won 16, drawn six, and only lost seven. Only Bayern, Dortmund, and Leipzig have collected more points in the Bundesliga since Alonso has taken over the club.

The Spaniard has been one of the major reasons for Leverkusen’s recent success. Another reason is Florian Wirtz. The teenage sensation has scored four goals and eight assists in 18 games since returning from his ACL injury. One of the most talented players on the planet, Wirtz has been crucial for his club’s success in recent weeks, and the 19-year-old is now fully focused on winning his first major trophy.

“I’d love to win the title,” Wirtz said to the German station RTL after the game. “It doesn’t really bother me who we meet in the next round. We’re going to see who it will be and will then prepare ourselves as well as possible for the next opponent.” Leverkusen does not want to sell Wirtz this summer, and winning the Europa League, which would come with an automatic spot in next season’s Champions League group stage, would go a long way to ensure that the forward will stay with the club.

That would be one significant advantage of winning the title. Another would be the added prestige a Europa League triumph would bring to the Bundesliga. Eintracht Frankfurt’s success last season was widely recognized around Europe, and for the league to grow, the Bundesliga will need other teams than Bayern to keep up the flag in Europe. Having back-to-back Europa League winners might not only keep a star in the league but also add significant prestige to the competition overall.

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth