"Strong blow to the face" warns Bayer Leverkusen
What a beautiful reunion for Kai Havertz with Bayer Leverkusen. The national player was involved in all three goals in his FC Arsenal's clear victory. In contrast, the mood is not good at the German champions. Coach Xabi Alonso is alarmed by the "wake-up call".
Xabi Alonso didn't look like a battered boxer, but after a resounding 1:4 defeat at FC Arsenal, Leverkusen's master coach felt like he was knocked out. "Maybe we needed a strong slap in the face. And we got it pretty hard today," said the Spaniard after one of the rare defeats of his Werkself - and that so close to the start of the season. The man of the match was former Bayer player Kai Havertz. He scored a goal (65th minute) and provided two assists for Olexander Sintschenko (8th) and Leandro Trossard (9th) in front of 60,000 spectators at the Emirates Stadium.
Alonso didn't want to overrate the defeat in London, after all, tests are there to test. But he said: "The performance was far below our standards and far from where we want to be." The 2:2 draw in Lens four days earlier had already shown: After a league season without a defeat, the mission to defend the title will not be easy. "That was certainly a wake-up call. In football, the past doesn't bring points or victories. We start from zero," Alonso warned. "But we still have enough time to talk and analyze." It's all about "the right mentality".
New signings whet the appetite
It might not be easy to quickly forget the euphoria of the past months, as the Bayer coach demanded. On Saturday, the team will present itself to the fans at the BayArena for the first time since months, with a colorful supporting program planned alongside the last test against Betis Sevilla. Of course, the championship trophy and the DFB Cup will be there, with photo opportunities included.
Yet, Bayer wants to avoid constantly looking in the rearview mirror. So far, they've done that excellently: New signings Martin Terrier, Aleix Garcia, and Jeanuel Belocian are whetting the appetite, while there are no prominent departures yet. While a transfer of national player Jonathan Tah to FC Bayern is still a topic, the national player was in the starting lineup in London and even led the team as captain onto the field.
There's not much time left, neither for a transfer nor for building form: On August 17, it's the first competitive game against vice-champions VfB Stuttgart for the Supercup, and six days later, the Bundesliga opener is at Borussia Mönchengladbach. The expectations are high. "We've earned our place in the favorites' circle," national player Robert Andrich told the Cologne city newspaper.
"On the Seychelles and in Spain"
The Bayer chest can also be a bit broader. Alonso recently revealed that he was repeatedly asked about the double during his vacation: "Even on the Seychelles and in Spain - everyone knew Bayer 04." Andrich is also sure: "The entire season has generated a certain hype."
So, what's in store for the new season? Another 34 games without a defeat to challenge the European record of the Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltar (88 games unbeaten)? Perhaps not. But there was encouragement in London from match winner Havertz. When asked what he expects from his former club, the Arsenal pro's answer was clear: "The same as last year."
Xabi Alonso mentioned that the 1:4 defeat against FC Arsenal was a "wake-up call" for Bayer Leverkusen, indicating that they need to improve before the start of the Football league season. The new signings Martin Terrier, Aleix Garcia, and Jeanuel Belocian are already building excitement among the fans, but the team needs to quickly forget the euphoria of the past months and focus on the upcoming Football league matches, starting with the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart.
