Bayer Leverkusen is already in the midst of a time of reflection and remembrance, but the fact that the team would present a brief summary of the past two years to their audience in the last home game of coach Xabi Alonso was not really planned in this form. For half an hour, the Werkself played in the ultimately lost game against Borussia Dortmund with a score of 2:4 (1:2) like in the most beautiful phases of the past season: technically brilliant, intense, clever, and adorned with the individual artistry of Florian Wirtz. As if they wanted to give their audience and their coach a farewell gift with one last big Xabi Alonso show. But in the end, Leverkusen somehow ran out of steam. Just like in the era of this great coach, whose end was celebrated with a lot of nostalgia on the sidelines.
„Xabi, Xabi!“
With long and yearning „Xabi, Xabi“ chants, Alonso was called into the stadium before the game. There, he was thanked, and he received a few souvenir gifts from the club management. Also bid farewell was Jonathan Tah, who played for Leverkusen for ten years, wore the captain’s armband, and shouted to the audience after the final whistle: „Let’s keep this positivity, this energy forever in Leverkusen.“ Later in an interview, the defender said, „This is extremely emotional, all the images come to mind, the highs and lows one has gone through,“ said Tah.
Perhaps even Florian Wirtz secretly said goodbye. The young national player is linked to various transfer options and has not yet stated that he will play for Leverkusen again next year. Thousands of Leverkusen fans chanted his name for a long time: Xabi Alonso is retiring as Bayer’s coach.
On this day, Wirtz finally started to play as carefree and free as in his best times. Already after four minutes, he had come to two very dangerous shots. „In the first half, we had to suffer, had a bit of luck and an outstanding goalkeeper,“ said Dortmund defender Waldemar Anton. Time and time again, Gregor Kobel prevented goals with brilliant actions. The 1-0, which Wirtz prepared with a dribble against Julian Brandt and which Jeremie Frimpong scored, was therefore overdue (31.).
Visibly moved: Xabi Alonso on the pitch
However, BVB had a surprisingly good answer: Julian Brandt finished one of the rare good attacks of BVB in the first half with the equalizer (33.). And with the second successful offensive action, BVB then also scored the 1-2, carried by a lot of willpower and force: Julian Ryerson scored from a difficult angle with a precise shot into the far corner (43.). Borussia Dortmund may not yet play with the brilliance that is actually in this squad, but under coach Nico Kovac, an enormous resilience has emerged in the recent successful phase.
Special thanks, special gestures: the leadership of Bayer Leverkusen with Xabi Alonso (second from right)
In the second half, the game became more and more of a duel on equal terms. And in the end, it actually reminded of the late phase of Xabi Alonso at Bayer 04. Before Karim Adeyemi’s 1-3, Granit Xhaka lost the ball in midfield (73.), and even the 1-4, scored by Serhou Guirassy, was favored by Leverkusen’s carelessness (77.).
Although Jonas Hofmann scored the 2-4 (90+2), the defeat of the fallen champion was certain, so Leverkusen could celebrate their farewells, while Dortmund can look forward to an exciting season finale. A Dortmund participation in the upcoming Europa League season is very likely, the lead over Mainz in sixth place is three points and five goals.
And if Freiburg does not win against Eintracht Frankfurt in the last game, BVB could even qualify for the Champions League with a victory against Kiel. „We depend on others, but we are a step further and have a final,“ said Dortmund coach Kovac.
