Bayer Leverkusen, fresh off their first loss in nearly a year, face second-division Kaiserslautern in Saturday's German Cup final. The Bundesliga champions were thoroughly outclassed in a 3-0 loss to Atalanta in the Europa League final on Wednesday, their first defeat in any competition since May 2023.
Leverkusen's unbeaten run, which broke a 59-year-old record set by Benfica in 1965, was bound to end sometime. However, it was the manner in which they capitulated that will concern manager Xabi Alonso the most. The Germans were outmuscled by a determined Atalanta, with key players Florian Wirtz and Granit Xhaka having off nights.
Winger Jonas Hofmann summed up the club's struggles, lamenting "many mistakes, individual mistakes, bad passes and simple technical errors." He said the performance was "not Bayer-like."
Despite the disappointment, beating Kaiserslautern would make Leverkusen just the sixth side in German football history to do the double. Alonso urged his side to "transform our pain into positive energy."
Kaiserslautern, despite their run to the final, only played one top-division side in the Cup, beating relegated Cologne. However, striker Ragnar Ache believes Leverkusen's vulnerability after Wednesday's loss could play into their hands.
"They have a very big squad with high quality players, and they're used to it," Ache said. "But it's still not going to be easy for us. We have to look at ourselves and what we are going to do."
Leverkusen will be hoping to make amends for their Europa League disappointment, while Kaiserslautern will be looking to pull off a major upset. The final promises to be a fascinating clash between a wounded giant and a determined underdog.
Tags: #BayerLeverkusen, #Kaiserslautern, #GermanCup, #EuropaLeague, #XabiAlonso
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