Bayer Leverkusen can end Bayern Munich’s 11-year dominance in the Bundesliga on Sunday and mathematically secure their first ever league title with victory against Werder Bremen.
Xabi Alonso’s side have already broken several national records en route to building a 16-point advantage at the top of the table with six matches remaining, having gone without losing in a remarkable 42 matches in all competitions.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)
However, Alonso is not letting his team get ahead.
“It’s special that we have the chance to become champions. But to achieve that, we want to be focused and play with our quality and mentality,” he told a press conference on Friday.
“We want to continue to perform well, we want to play well. But first we have to prepare well and respect the opposition.
“The most important thing is that we can celebrate something after the match. It’s a special moment for the club.
“A lot of people are interested in our course, our matches and the championship. It’s a good situation.”
A victory would secure the title regardless of what Bayern do in their match against Cologne on Saturday and would also end the Bavarian giants’ stranglehold on the league. If Bayern and Stuttgart both lose on Saturday, then Leverkusen would be crowned champions without a ball being kicked on Sunday.
“I don’t even know if I can describe this feeling,” Robert Andrich from Leverkusen told broadcaster RTL.
“I’ll probably collapse. But when I lift the trophy, then it will have sunk a little more.”
Avoiding defeat could still be enough to lift the trophy and would also make Leverkusen the first Bundesliga team in the league’s history to go 29 games unbeaten in the league.
Nicknamed “Neverkusen” for their failure to win anything over the past three decades, the team came close to league success on several occasions and also reached the Champions League final in 2002. However, their last victory in the German Cup dates back to 1993. .
Even if Leverkusen wins the title on Sunday, they will not get their hands on the trophy until the final day.
Leverkusen remain in contention for a treble – they beat West Ham United 2-0 on Thursday in their Europa League quarter-final first leg and final against second division Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final on May 25.
Alonso confirmed in March that he would remain as the team’s head coach for next season despite growing speculation linking him to Bayern, who are parting ways with Thomas Tuchel at the end of the term, and Liverpool, whose manager Jurgen Klopp leaves after almost nine years at the helm.
Information from Reuters contributed to this report.
