Bayer Leverkusen breathed a sigh of relief on Saturday after earning a hard-fought victory over Werder Bremen, their fourth league win of the season. The 20-year-old Frenchman Eliesse Ben Seghir has slipped out of the rotation since a home defeat to Stuttgart, and interest in loaning him back to Monaco has grown. Despite the setback, Leverkusen remain on course for Champions League qualification.
The surprise win came courtesy of Lucas Vázquez's first goal for the club, which gave his team the lead in the 45th minute. Leverkusen fielded their oldest XI of the season, with an average age of nearly 29 years old, and it was clear that experience played a significant role in their success.
Manager Kasper Hjulmand described the win as "a sedative" rather than a salvation, highlighting that beating Bremen was essential but not enough to turn the season around. The coach also acknowledged the importance of his team's experience, particularly with players like Robert Andrich and Jarell Quansah in defense.
While Leverkusen have made progress under Hjulmand's leadership, their start to the year has been alarming on two levels: the performances have been poor, making it unrecognizable from the team that finished last season. Secondly, they need to qualify for the Champions League after such a turbulent period.
The victory marked a welcome respite for Leverkusen, who had lost four of their previous six games. Bayern Munich's surprise defeat at home to Augsburg was another positive sign, with key players like Manuel Neuer and Dayot Upamecano missing out due to injuries.
As the season enters its final stretch, Leverkusen face a crucial match against Villarreal on Wednesday, which could be made or broken by their performance. With three points still needed for Champions League qualification, anything less would be a huge disappointment.
The surprise win came courtesy of Lucas Vázquez's first goal for the club, which gave his team the lead in the 45th minute. Leverkusen fielded their oldest XI of the season, with an average age of nearly 29 years old, and it was clear that experience played a significant role in their success.
Manager Kasper Hjulmand described the win as "a sedative" rather than a salvation, highlighting that beating Bremen was essential but not enough to turn the season around. The coach also acknowledged the importance of his team's experience, particularly with players like Robert Andrich and Jarell Quansah in defense.
While Leverkusen have made progress under Hjulmand's leadership, their start to the year has been alarming on two levels: the performances have been poor, making it unrecognizable from the team that finished last season. Secondly, they need to qualify for the Champions League after such a turbulent period.
The victory marked a welcome respite for Leverkusen, who had lost four of their previous six games. Bayern Munich's surprise defeat at home to Augsburg was another positive sign, with key players like Manuel Neuer and Dayot Upamecano missing out due to injuries.
As the season enters its final stretch, Leverkusen face a crucial match against Villarreal on Wednesday, which could be made or broken by their performance. With three points still needed for Champions League qualification, anything less would be a huge disappointment.
i mean 4th place is def not where u wanna be at this point of the season but i guess experience and all that jazz did make a difference 
anyway gotta give credit to lucas vazquez, who knew he had it in him? lol. and btw, ben seghir's exit from the team is like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders 
now can they please just wrap up this season without too many more collapses?
like Leverkusen really need this win to qualify for the champs league and I think they can do it! 
I know they've had some tough losses lately but experience seems to be paying off for them now. 
Lucas Vázquez's goal was a game changer lol what happened before that tho? 
and btw I'm loving Kasper Hjulmand's approach, he seems so chill but still gets the job done! 
! I mean, they're not perfect and there's definitely room for improvement, but seeing Lucas Vázquez score that first goal was like a breath of fresh air 
. And let's be real, their team's age is actually a positive – all those years of experience are gonna pay off in the long run 
. What I love most about this win is that it shows they're not just relying on young talent (although Eliesse Ben Seghir is still super promising 
. Bring on Villarreal! 
. I'm loving the way Hjulmand is keeping it real about the team not being where they want to be yet 
. They need to pick up the pace and finish strong, especially against Villarreal 
. The experience of the older players really showed in that game, it's like they were all like "we got this" 
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they really need these wins to stay in the hunt for that Champions League spot! 29-year-old squad looks like it's paying off experience is everything right now 
gotta keep the positivity going after that tough patch they went through. still a long way to go though, Villarreal is not gonna be an easy opponent... fingers crossed for the Danish coach 
! He's saying they need to step up their game if they wanna make the CL! Meanwhile, I think Lucas Vázquez was a total game-changer with that goal 
️. And let's be real, an 29-year-old average age for their starting XI? That's like, old school football 
. But seriously though, I'm hyped to see how they'll do against Villarreal on Wednesday... it could go either way! 
. On the other hand, their experience was definitely key in beating Bremen, you can't deny that old players made a difference 
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they played some decent football out there and experience definitely made a difference 
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. The upcoming match against Villarreal will be crucial in determining whether Leverkusen can redeem themselves and secure a spot in Europe's elite club competition 
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. The fact that Werder Bremen were struggling too means Leverkusen aren't in a bad spot right now 
. But with Bayern Munich still looking strong and Villarreal waiting on Wednesday, Leverkusen need to stay focused and deliver or they'll be out of Champions League contention 
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coach hjulmand needs to figure out what's going on with ben seghir tho, and how to get some consistency from the team