Late goals as proof of maturity – Is the “Vizekusen” complex with Xhaka and Co. finally gone? – Sports

While Bayern make a mistake, Leverkusen discovers injury time: Granit Xhaka’s team is on course for a championship.

Now, in addition to the exhilarating spectacle of football, there is also an absolute winner’s mentality: Leverkusen showed the characteristics of a champion in the first two Bundesliga games since the championship resumed.

At the start of the year, Exequiel Palacios scored 1-0 in the fourth minute of stoppage time in Augsburg after a tough 90 minutes, and on Saturday the team won 3-2 in Leipzig after falling behind twice thanks to the winning goal in the 91st minute. “We have shown once again: This team is alive, this team has character,” said spokesman Granit Xhaka after the game.

Is Alonso even planning goals from substitutes?

Even at the end of January, Leverkusen was still unbeaten in all competitions this season. The series in the Bundesliga already amounts to 18 games. The lead in the table is seven points over the weakening superiority of Bayern Munich, who suffered a home defeat against Werder Bremen on Sunday, but still have a supplementary game against Union Berlin in hand.

None of this is a coincidence. We’ll look at everything in detail during the week.

“The goals from our wingers, the goal from Nathan Tella, who came on for the injured Jeremie Frimpong – none of that is a coincidence. We’ll look at everything in detail during the week. Whether it’s a passing game or a positional game, in the box or elsewhere, without the ball, with the ball: We train it every day,” explained Xhaka.

Once again, the captain of the Swiss national team sang praises for coach Xabi Alonso, the architect of the current success.

Good nose when changing

While Xhaka’s move from the big Arsenal in London to the “Werkself” from North Rhine-Westphalia was initially laughed at in various ways, he is now praised from all sides for his good nose and his impressive qualities as a leader and aggressive leader.

In the wake of the upswing, Germany’s greatest talent Florian Wirtz has also matured further and central defender Jonathan Tah, after years of stagnation, has suddenly become the defensive leader that he has actually been seen as for a long time.

Will Xhaka travel to the European Championships in Germany as German champion?

In 2002, the last time the balance of power in German football was upset, Leverkusen lost the Bundesliga championship title with a 0-1 defeat against Nuremberg on matchday 33. They don’t want to let it get that far this time, the opportunity with the weakening Bayern simply seems too good.

Xhaka, who has already won seven titles in his career, is convinced: “This team has all the qualities it needs to be successful. She not only has class as a player, but also the right morals.”