Europe League
Leverkusen’s Andrich banishes his Rome trauma
Leverkusen’s Robert Andrich celebrates his goal against AS Roma. photo
© Fabio Sasso/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
In the semi-final first leg of the Europa League in Rome, Robert Andrich experienced one of the worst evenings of 2023. Now, at the new edition at the same location in the same competition, he experienced one of the most beautiful.
In the end, Alicia Andrich was watching. “She saw the goal, then I’m assuming she also watched the game,” said her husband, national soccer player Robert Andrich, after the 2-0 win in the first leg of the semi-final Europa League at AS Roma.
Alicia is usually excited when Robert plays for Bayer Leverkusen or the national team, but on Thursday evening that was anything but a given. The reason for the skepticism was the fact that Andrich had also experienced one of the worst evenings of his career with Roma in the semi-finals of the previous year. In the 0-1 defeat he suffered a metatarsal fracture shortly before the end. Bayer were eliminated with a 0-0 draw in the second leg, Andrich was out for months, missed preparation and lost his regular place.
“She said: If you play here, I don’t even know if I can watch the game,” said Andrich: “She even said as a joke that she doesn’t want me to play here.” Sports director Simon Rolfes commented with the words with a laugh: “Luckily she doesn’t make the team.” Of course it’s understandable that the woman would say something like that, said Andrich. “There are situations where the woman is of course worried. But as a footballer you don’t think about it that much.”
“It looks delicious”
This time Andrich experienced a completely different evening: Bayer won, are close to the final, can hope for a triple – and Andrich made it 2-0 (73′) with a beautiful shot after Florian Wirtz took the lead (28th minute). “I’ve seen it twice now with the camera perspective from behind. It looks delicious,” said the 29-year-old and assured that he wanted the ball exactly the same way.
“Now Rome no longer has that shitty meaning for me,” he said with relief: “Now I’ve scored a goal here. And you can now push the injury way back in your head. The goal is now way up front. That’s it a very, very nice feeling, definitely.”
In general, Andrich is probably the happiest of all in the Leverkusen team, which floats through all competitions with great euphoria and is now unbeaten in 47 competitive games. Ten days after winning the championship title early, he and Alicia became parents for the second time. The midfielder, who is not known as Knipser, has scored three goals in the last six competitive games and he has the best chance of scoring one in the national team after two strong international games in March Regular place alongside Toni Kroos at the home European Championships. “That’s definitely the wish,” said Andrich: “And I think, if you see the two games, I deserve to at least be there.”
Alonso warns: “One more game”
It is quite possible that Andrich will travel to the European Championships as a triple winner. And in the opening game on June 14th against Scotland in a Leverkusen axis with central defender Jonathan Tah and Wirtz on the pitch. The goal was also special for Wirtz. Alonso had called him up as a so-called false nine in a tactical orientation without a trained striker. And shortly after the game in the catacombs he was able to celebrate his 21st birthday. “He got a small cake. Everyone was very happy,” the coach, who was suspended for the next league game on Sunday in Frankfurt, revealed on Friday morning: “He’s still only 21. But he has a great future. His development too see, it’s great.”
In return, the former world and European champion warned as a player that a place in the Europa League final on May 22nd in Dublin against Atalanta Bergamo or Olympique Marseille (first leg: 1-1) was too certain. “It’s a good result, but it’s not over yet,” he said: “There’s one more game in Leverkusen. They have nothing to lose, we have everything to lose. Sometimes it’s a difficult situation. I’ve had many We’ve seen comebacks. But we’re ready.”