Schick after hat-trick: "Not much free time" during winter break

Bundesliga - Schick after hat-trick: "Not much free time" during winter break

Patrik Schick grabbed the match ball as a traditional pre-Christmas present for his hat-trick after his fantastic comeback in the starting eleven. However, the Czech goalscorer will not be sitting back and relaxing during the short winter break. "I won't have much free time," said the 27-year-old after the 4:0 (3:0) win against VfL Bochum: "I still have a lot of work to do." After all, Schick said, he was "not yet at 100 percent. I feel that something is still missing."

That must sound like a threat to the competition. Because on Wednesday evening, Schick even completely satisfied his perfectionist coach Xabi Alonso. "That was the best possible comeback," said the former world and European champion: "I couldn't have expected more."

Alonso had declared from the outset that he had a plan for the professional, who had been suffering from persistent adductor problems for around a year. He brought him on slowly and, after a first two-game comeback at the end of October, took him out of the squad again for a whole month. Since then, Schick has played 213 competitive minutes, which is less than two and a half games. But he has already scored six goals.

That makes Schick, who was the second-highest scorer in the Bundesliga in the 21/22 season with 24 goals, another incredible upgrade for Bayer, who had already breezed through all three competitions before the return of their top scorer. Since Wednesday, Leverkusen have the German record for 25 competitive games without defeat from the start of the season. "We were hoping to play a good first half of the season," said Alonso: "But even the biggest optimists wouldn't have expected that."

The first title since 1993 should come this season. Anything else would be a bit of a disappointment for many. With only three first division teams left in the quarter-finals, the cup seems to offer the best chance. But Bayer also has every chance in the league to topple serial champions FC Bayern from the throne after eleven years.

The decisive factor for many is the time of the Africa Cup in January, when up to five Bayer players will be missing for up to six competitive matches. "But not everyone can reach the final," said Alonso with a laugh. Against Bochum, who were the last team to beat Bayer in May, he sat all five Africans on the bench and openly admitted afterwards that it was a deliberate test. "Of course it was a test," said Alonso: "But it wasn't a risk. I don't take risks in a Bundesliga game."

Bringing on Schick for the previously strong Victor Boniface was obviously not really a risk. On the other hand, almost everything Alonso has tried in the 25 games since the summer has worked. The Spaniard assured us that he now wanted to relax a little in the winter. "It's time for a bit of a break," he said: "The players, the staff too, we need time to relax. Time for family and friends. We haven't had much opportunity to see friends recently." And when he watches soccer, "it's as a fan, not as a coach". After that, the attack on the up to three titles really starts. "We want to keep going and not stop," said Alonso. Schick is setting a good example.