It was very quick. 60,000 people had just populated the stands, then the referee blew the final whistle, accompanied by a cheering of the spectators, which was overly motivated considering the poor result – and a few moments later the Olympic Stadium was suddenly empty. Only the well-fed Roman seagulls stayed behind, collecting from the stands what the people hadn’t eaten. A few substitute players busily running up and down could also be seen in the big circle, the lawn warden on his tractor, TV people, stewards and other staff. And, as a rear guard in the spectator seats, the Bayer Leverkusen fans, who were not allowed to leave their block for so-called security reasons. They sang against loneliness and feigned happiness where, judging by the performance, disillusionment was appropriate.
Inside the venerable house, in the dressing room of Bayer 04 Leverkusen, there was also an indecisive attitude between disappointment and defiance, as sporting director Simon Rolfes reported first-hand. Everyone was looking forward to this big evening, but then it remained a comparatively small show with a fitting result. Lost 1-0 in the first leg of the semi-final against José Mourinho’s AS Roma, which is typical of Mourinho on the one hand and not bad and not good from Bayer’s point of view on the other. It was “not a catastrophic result”, as goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky put it three times verbatim in his game discussion.
From Hradecky’s commentary it can be learned that the main goal of the evening for both sides was to ward off disaster for the second leg. The notorious withdrawal strategist Mourinho had accordingly rebelliously hired his team, Bayer 04, on the other hand, had to learn to remain frugal and maintain self-control over the course of the 90 minutes. Leverkusen couldn’t find a key to realizing their real strengths – speed attacks, wing runs, dribbling. Only in the first few minutes and shortly before the end after a mistake by Roma goalkeeper Rui Patricio were there good opportunities. After all, Bayer managed to keep the defensive order and to force the defense after Edoardo Bove conceded a rather accidental goal (61st). The team “reacted well,” said Rolfes. He didn’t know much more to praise.
As with not a few gala events, the setting was more magnificent than the actual event. With an audience in the festive spirit who, before the kick-off, sang from thousands of throats as beautifully as the most famous Italian cantautori, even without piano accompaniment. The fact that lots of fireworks were set off and dozens of purple rockets were flown into the interior did not disturb public order in any way. That’s what the firefighters were there for, who routinely put the glowing beacons in specially provided extinguishing buckets.
Andrich’s foot could be broken – or just bruised
“It was a super experience,” said Hradecky, “but to be honest, it’s sometimes louder at Bayer and hopefully it’ll be a little louder next week.” Just as he uttered these sentences, helpers behind him disturbed the effortlessly optimistic image by preparing for Robert Andrich’s transport. The midfielder had already needed the support of two coaches to leave the field just before the end. Now he had to be taken away with a golf cart, moving himself was not possible. “Bad news” was what coach Xabi Alonso called it the next morning. Andrich is the strategic head of his team. The doctors now have to determine whether the left foot is broken or just bruised, the coach reported. While the rest of the Bayer crew stayed in Rome until Saturday to prepare for Sunday’s game at VfB Stuttgart, Andrich was flown back to the Rhineland for an examination. Defender Odilon Kossounou accompanied him, and he is also likely to miss the second leg.
May experience his first difficult time as a Leverkusen coach: Xabi Alonso.
(Photo: Gennaro Masi/Independent Photo Agency/Imago)
Until next Thursday Bayer 04 will be in a situation where no one really knows how to interpret the trend: are you headed towards the European summit or has the path become too difficult? In the Bundesliga there was recently the painful defeat against Cologne, which was characterized by astonishing offensive ineffectiveness, and in Rome sporting director Rolfes tried to draw motivation from the fact that the team now knows its mission: “The direction is clear: We have to do better and win at home.”
The fast attackers seem to have lost their freshness
The good mood, almost euphoric by Bayer standards, that prevailed after the convincingly played quarter-finals has faded for the time being. Against Roma it looked as if the Bayer team had lost imagination and freshness, the most influential players looked exhausted: Florian Wirtz started strong and faded even more, Jeremie Frimpong and Moussa Diaby, the light-speed duet on the right, hardly stepped in Appearance, as Hradecky had also noticed. “Yes, we have to improve,” he said with an unmistakable sigh, “we knew that it wasn’t easy to crack, we have to find the ways and means.” If this does not succeed, the worst of all punishments threatens: Not only the sporting expulsion from the competition, but also a bad stamp on the entire mission. Slacking off when it matters most would evoke the well-known stigma of the Bayer Vizekusen club. They hate nothing more at Bayer 04.