Penalty, frustration, Europe – and suddenly this Werkself looks alive again

You can say a lot about this 1-1 against Arsenal, but not that Bayer 04 merely put up a brave fight. It was far too mature for that, far too sharp, far too reminiscent of the Werkself we had missed badly in recent weeks. After the chaotic 3-3 in Freiburg and all the justified nerves around this team, this felt like a proper revival on the European stage: less pretty play, more dirt under the fingernails, more Andrich in the head than TikTok in the boots.

That was the real background to this first leg. Not whether Arsenal would have more possession — of course they would. The real question was whether Bayer 04, after a stretch of wobbling, wasting leads and generally looking far too fragile, still had the stability for nights like this. The answer was a surprisingly clear yes. This team showed that it is not in the Champions League just to make up the numbers. Bayer can genuinely annoy opponents like Arsenal, and not with some romantic all-out attacking football, but with discipline, compactness and the very welcome willingness to be a nuisance.

That Robert Andrich of all people scored the goal fits perfectly. If there is one player who treats a Champions League knockout game more like urban warfare than a football match, it is him. In general, this was an evening for the players who do not look polished but look ready for resistance. Palacios back in the starting eleven, Kofane fearless and cheeky, the defense focused, and the whole team carrying a body language that had been missing too often lately. This is how Bayer 04 should look: not neat, but charged.

And then, of course, there is the old Leverkusen specialty of letting an almost perfect evening get scratched up right at the end. The late penalty for Arsenal felt like a wet towel to the face, especially because the Gunners had looked more like a side in energy-saving mode than an unstoppable powerhouse for most of the game. That Kai Havertz of all people scored the equalizer in the BayArena was the kind of irony football produces when it is in a particularly bad mood.

Still, what remains is more hope than frustration. This 1-1 is not a consolation prize, it is a statement. Bayer 04 is still alive, in Europe especially. And if the team performs in London the way it did against Arsenal for long stretches, it will not be travelling there as a tourist. First come Bayern. How very considerate.