- Jena is geared up for Bayer Leverkusen's encounter.
FC Carl Zeiss Jena: A Persistent Cup Spoiler
FC Carl Zeiss Jena has a history of causing trouble for Bundesliga teams in cups. Many champions, including Bayer Leverkusen this Wednesday (6:00 PM), have fallen victim to this traditional Thuringian club. As per Jena's coach, Henning Bürger, "we've been playing some slick football recently. The team has been clicking since day one. This locker room is positively buzzing."
Despite leading the North-East table with five consecutive victories, Jena is well aware of Leverkusen's credentials. "We're facing last season's biggest German, maybe even European, club. This is a formidable opponent. We need a stroke of luck to score from our initial attempt. Keeping a clean sheet for as long as possible could be a target, then staying tight and capitalizing on counterattacks," said defender Sören Reddemann.
Coach Bürger plans to approach the encounters with the German champions much like their previous outings. His strategy combines a strategic and factual analysis with the usual consideration of mentality, attitude, and enjoying the moment.
Jena's Cup Legacy
Jena has proven its mettle in cups. In the 1993/94 season, they knocked out Borussia Dortmund in the first round. They then overcame Uerdingen and Wattenscheid before falling to Essen in the quarter-finals on penalties. In 1997/98, they reached the quarter-finals again, eliminating FC St. Pauli, VfR Mannheim, and Hannover 96. Their journey ended against MSV Duisburg (1:2).
Coach Bürger pulled off a surprise with Jena in the 2007/08 season. They beat German champions VfB Stuttgart on penalties before bowing out to Borussia Dortmund (0:3) in the semifinals. Hamburger SV also felt the sting of an unexpected defeat at Jena's hands in 2015/16, losing 3:2 in extra time. Regrettably, Jena's record against Leverkusen in the cup is unimpressive, with two losses (0:2 and 0:4) to the Bayer side.
Jena's impressive cup history extends beyond Bundesliga teams, as they've also caused upsets against German giants like Borussia Dortmund. Germany's national football scene has felt the impact of Jena's cup prowess, with Hamburg SV suffering a defeat in 2015/16.
In contrast, Jena's encounters with Leverkusen in cups have not been as successful, with two losses to their credit.
