How Buendía Saved Our Saturday (and Maybe Our Season)

Let’s be honest – anyone who cracked open a cold one on Saturday afternoon expecting a fiery Bayer 04 comeback after the Bielefeld embarrassment probably found themselves mowing the lawn by halftime out of sheer frustration. Because what we saw in Heidenheim for most of the match wasn’t exactly “title-challenger energy” – it was more like “let’s hope this ends quickly” energy. And yet… somehow… we won. Because football is weird. And because Emiliano Buendía decided he was done watching us suffer.

It all started – as it so often does with us lately – with high hopes and low output. Xabi Alonso shuffled the starting XI like a man searching for answers in the sock drawer: Boniface was back up front, Aleix Garcia replaced Palacios, and Andrich was suddenly a defender. The good news? The opponent wasn’t Bayern. The bad news? Heidenheim clearly didn’t get the memo that they’re supposed to be in the relegation battle. They came out swinging – pressing high, tackling hard, and looking like a team with something to prove.

And us? Well… if the first half were a dish, it would’ve been a lukewarm potato salad with no dressing. Possession without penetration, build-up without bite, and a vibe that screamed "still traumatized from Tuesday." The few chances we did have barely registered as such. Meanwhile, Heidenheim rattled the crossbar, pinged the post, and made Hradecky look like a man playing roulette with his own goal.

Second half? Slightly better, but not much. We had the ball, but didn’t seem to know what to do with it. Alonso started making changes, throwing on attackers like he was hoping one of them might accidentally stumble into a goal. Spoiler alert: one did.

Enter Emiliano Buendía. On in the 67th, anonymous until the 91st – and then suddenly the main character. Hofmann, also fresh off the bench and determined to justify his haircut, slipped him the ball. One touch, one turn, one perfect curler – and boom. 1-0. Out of nowhere. Heidenheim frozen. Bayer fans erupting. Football, bloody hell.

That goal didn’t just win us the match – it quite possibly kept the title dream alive. It was Buendía’s first Bundesliga goal, and if there’s any justice in the universe, it won’t be his last in red and black. Because sometimes it’s not about playing pretty. Sometimes it’s about showing up, digging deep, and stealing three points when you absolutely don’t deserve them. That’s what champions do. Ugly wins count too.

So here we are – still chasing, still in the hunt, and still somehow standing after a week that nearly broke us. Next up: Union Berlin at home. Maybe we’ll actually play some decent football. Or maybe we’ll just need another last-minute hero. Either way, we’ll be there – with beer in hand, heart in mouth, and hope in our eyes.

Thanks, Emiliano. You beautiful, brilliant, last-minute legend.

Berlin? Without Us – A Pokal Meltdown on the Alm

There are those football nights where you just want to turn your phone off, throw your jersey in the washing machine (on the highest setting), and pretend nothing ever happened. But that’s not how it works when you’re a Leverkusen fan. Especially not after what went down in Bielefeld – where Bayer 04 managed to turn a golden chance into a gloriously chaotic exit against a third division side. Yep. A third division team. Arminia Bielefeld. 2:1. Pokal semifinal. And no, this isn’t a poorly timed April Fool’s joke – even though it hurt like one.

To be fair, it started off quite nicely. Tah scored from a corner, the away end was buzzing, and for a hot minute, Berlin felt within reach. The final in sight, dreams of back-to-back cup wins, confetti, champagne, the whole thing. But then came reality. Or more specifically: Bielefeld. And even more specifically: us not showing up anymore.

Because what followed was a perfect storm of bad ideas, worse execution, and one of those tactical gameplans you wish you could CTRL+Z mid-match. Instead of playing our usual slick possession game, we opted for Route One football – on a pitch that looked like it was last used for medieval farming. Balls were hoofed into the void, attackers were asked to win headers against defenders built like tree trunks, and the only combination play was between our frustration and disbelief.

Bielefeld, on the other hand, looked like a team with nothing to lose and everything to gain. They pressed, they fought, and – plot twist – they actually played football. First the equalizer, then just before halftime, they took the lead. And we just stood there, politely watching it happen like guests at someone else's party. The kind of party where they forgot to invite us.

The second half? Let’s just say the highlight was seeing Jonathan Tah play striker in the closing minutes. Not because it worked – it didn’t – but because it was the ultimate symbol of how desperate things had gotten. Our best chances came from headers, not build-up play. Our ideas had dried up, and the only spark we had was the one coming from fans arguing with players after the final whistle.

Yes, there was a bit of bad luck. Schick hit the post, Boniface forced a save. But let’s be real: if you can’t break down a third-tier defense in 90 minutes with the quality we have, it’s not about luck. It’s about mentality. And sadly, Bielefeld had more of it. More hunger, more grit, more belief. While we looked like we’d already booked the Berlin hotel and just forgot the small matter of actually winning the match.

After the game, emotions ran high. Xhaka got into it with the fans, the players looked stunned, and Xabi Alonso’s usually unshakeable poker face had that “what just happened” look written all over it. Because this wasn’t just a loss. It was a wake-up call. One that might define the rest of the season.

We’ve still got the league. We’ve still got the quality. But this team needs to regroup, fast. Because nights like this don’t just disappear – they leave bruises. Mentally, emotionally, and in the standings. And if we’re honest, that bruising was self-inflicted.

So, no Berlin trip for us this year. The Pokal dream is over. But maybe, just maybe, this embarrassment on the Alm becomes the spark that reignites this squad. Maybe it reminds them that talent alone doesn’t win titles. That you can’t shortcut your way through a battle. And that even a third division side will punish you if you take the night off.

Now it’s Heidenheim away. A match that suddenly feels ten times more important. Because after this mess, only one thing matters: a reaction. The right one. The only one. Or we’ll be watching this season slip away faster than you can say “Niemals Meister.” And this time, it won’t be funny at all.

Friday Night Fernschuss and Calm as You Like – Bayer 04 Does It the Leverkusen Way

Let’s be honest: watching this team right now feels a bit like someone took the "calm mode" from a yoga retreat and dropped it straight into a football stadium – only instead of soothing wind chimes, you get thunderous long-range rockets and well-timed tap-ins. The 3-1 win over VfL Bochum? Not exactly a footballing firework show, but once again, Bayer 04 proved they’ve got everything under control. And they’re doing it with the kind of quiet confidence that makes you believe nothing can go wrong – even when it briefly does.

This wasn’t chaos. This wasn’t drama. This was a measured, composed, espresso-shot of a game: strong, short, and with a solid punch in the middle. Bochum came to the BayArena with the full “underdog scrapping for survival” package – ten men behind the ball, all-in tackles, running until their lungs gave out. And fair play, they held us off for a while, even hitting back with a long-distance strike that probably left Hradecky wondering what kind of Bundesliga multiverse he’d woken up in.

But before that, Aleix Garcia had already decided to paint his name across the evening sky with one of the most glorious curlers we’ve seen all season. A laser beam from outside the box – his third of the season, because apparently the man doesn’t do boring goals. And from that moment on, you just had the feeling: we’ve got this. Not because it was easy, but because this team doesn’t panic anymore. Bayer 04 plays like they’ve seen this movie before. They know the ending. They’ve got the script.

Second half? All Werkself. Boniface, finally looking like the joyful wrecking ball we fell in love with before Christmas, bagged his return goal in classic poacher fashion after a clever set-piece routine. Nothing fancy, just in the right place at the right time. That’s exactly what we’ve been missing – and the grin on his face told you everything you needed to know. And then came Amine Adli, back on the Bundesliga scoresheet for the first time since the dinosaurs roamed the earth (okay, last April). A cool finish, a big moment – and just the kind of squad depth reminder you want heading into the business end of the season.

And speaking of milestones: how about Jonathan Tah? 300 Bundesliga matches, 284 of them in Leverkusen red and black. Not just a rock at the back, but a real institution at this club. He’s played so long for us, you half expect him to start handing out guided tours of the BayArena on off-days. The guy bleeds Werkself, and it shows.

What makes this team truly special, though, is how unshakable they’ve become. Remember the days when going 1-1 at home meant sweaty palms and frantic tactical overhauls? Those days are gone. Now it’s calm passes, patient buildup, the occasional Garcia rocket – rinse and repeat. Top of the league in goals before halftime. Top in long-range goals (okay, second behind Bayern, but give it a week). Top in vibes? Absolutely.

Next stop: Bielefeld. Pokal semifinal. Floodlights, third division grit, and that classic “giant-killing” energy in the air. But if there’s one thing this Leverkusen side knows how to handle, it’s pressure. No matter the pitch, no matter the opponent – they just do their thing. Focused. Efficient. Unfazed.

So dream on, Bayer fans. We’re three points off Bayern, in the DFB-Pokal semis, and still dancing in Europe. The finish line is in sight – and for once, it doesn’t feel like a sprint. It feels like a Sunday stroll.

Schick Happens: Bayer 04’s Last-Minute Madness!

What. A. Game. If someone had pitched this as a Hollywood script, it probably would’ve been rejected for being too unrealistic. 3-1 down in Stuttgart, barely any time left, and then? Bayer 04 shook it off, grabbed the hammer, and nailed yet another epic comeback into the history books. And once again, the leading man of this last-minute blockbuster: Patrik Schick!

But let’s rewind. Anyone who watched the first half had every reason to wonder whether Bayer 04 had forgotten there was actually a Bundesliga match scheduled for Sunday night. Stuttgart pressed aggressively, Demirović scored early, and while we were still busy complaining about our lack of urgency, we suddenly found ourselves 0-2 down right after halftime. Mood? Rock bottom. Hope? Almost gone. But then, this team did what they do best under Xabi Alonso: refuse to go down without a fight.

Frimpong—of course, Frimpong!—ignited the comeback with a brilliant strike for 1-2, but just as we started believing again, disaster struck. Granit Xhaka, usually our midfield general, accidentally turned into a Stuttgart assist machine and deflected the ball into his own net. A two-goal deficit once again. By this point, one thing was clear: watching Bayer 04 this season is not for the faint-hearted.

But then, the Werkself flicked the switch to their ultimate don’t-count-us-out mode. Hincapié smashed in a header for 2-3—suddenly, the momentum was back! Stuttgart started wobbling. Boniface came on, doing what he does best: causing chaos. A low cross into the box, a Stuttgart foot in the way, and boom—3-3! The away end erupted, the energy on the pitch skyrocketed. One last push.

90+4. Frimpong crosses. Schick jumps. Header. GOOOOOAL! Absolute scenes! Pure madness!

This match had everything—setbacks, fighting spirit, own goals, emotions—and, of course, that one Magic Moment, as Xabi Alonso called it. Once again, Bayer 04 proved that this season is something special.

And now? International break. A good chance to catch our breath. But once the boys return, we all know: this season is far from over—and Bayer 04 still has a few chapters left to write.

So Close, Yet So Far: Bayer 04 Bows Out of the Champions League

It was supposed to be one of those magical nights. You know, the kind where the air is electric, where football miracles happen, and where you wake up the next morning thinking: How on earth did we pull that off?! But nope. Instead, it was a 0-2 defeat against Bayern Munich—like a cold shower after a long night out: sobering, painful, but somehow not surprising.

And yet, we had dared to dream. The BayArena was packed, the atmosphere was buzzing, and our team was fired up. From the first minute, Bayer pressed high, ran tirelessly, and pinned Bayern deep in their own half. Schick had his chances, Frimpong was everywhere, Xhaka was bossing the midfield like a bouncer at Oktoberfest. And Bayern? They looked uncomfortable. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance?

But then came that moment. A lapse in concentration after a free kick—and of course, Harry Kane was there, that goal-scoring machine with built-in luck mode. Boom, 0-1. And with that, our last spark of hope faded. Bayer kept pushing, throwing everything forward, but when Alphonso Davies made it 0-2, reality hit hard: no miracle tonight.

And that hurts. Because this season, we’ve proven time and time again that we can beat anyone. Because we believed. Because we wanted this. And because we all dreamed of something bigger than another Round of 16 exit.

But hey—this is Bayer 04. We get knocked down, but we get back up. The Champions League is over, but the season isn’t! The Bundesliga title race is still on, the DFB-Pokal semifinal awaits, and who knows—maybe there’s still a magical night left in this season. Just not in the Champions League.

"If You're Gonna Lose, Lose Big" – A Rough Day Against Bremen

There are losses that hurt. And then there are losses that make you wonder if you've accidentally slipped into an alternate universe. The 0-2 defeat against Werder Bremen was one of those. Not because Bremen outplayed us—no, it was more like one of those games where absolutely nothing seems to go right. A rough day, as they say. Or, in Xabi Alonso’s words: “A game we want to forget as soon as possible.”

But forget? That’s tough. Because how often have we experienced this feeling this season? Exactly—twice. And when a defeat feels like a power outage in football paradise, it says a lot about how incredible this season has been so far.

Everything started as expected: Leverkusen with possession, with control—but unfortunately, also with an early shock. After just seven minutes, it was 0-1 because Romano Schmid decided that a Bremen lead would spice up the Bundesliga title race. After that? An offside goal for Bremen, a crossbar hit from Aleix Garcia, plenty of attempts, but no breakthrough.

At halftime, there was still hope: Alonso brought on Wirtz, Palacios, and Mukiele to turn things around. But Wirtz had to leave the pitch just 15 minutes later after a rough tackle—because apparently, the football gods had decided that things weren’t bad enough yet. Even after that, Bayer 04 kept pushing forward, but the ball simply refused to go in. And just when we were hoping for a last-minute equalizer, Bremen’s Justin Njinmah sealed the deal in stoppage time—0-2, game over.

Looking at the stats, it gets even more frustrating: 73% possession for Leverkusen, 18 shots to 11—this is the kind of match you win nine times out of ten. But this time, it was the one out of ten that just wasn’t meant to be. Or as kicker put it: "Struggling Bremen win an emotional battle." Emotions, yes. But the wrong ones.

And now? Now it’s Champions League time against Bayern Munich on Tuesday. Talk about a contrast: first Bremen, now the ultimate showdown against the record champions. Maybe that’s a good thing—because if there’s one thing this team has proven under Alonso, it’s that they know how to respond.

So, time to shake it off and move on. And please, let’s not forget—we’re still having one hell of a season. Because if the biggest problem of the year is that we’ve lost twice, then we must be doing something very, very right.

Header, Horror, Hopeless – A Night to Forget in Munich

It could have been a Champions League classic. A blockbuster German duel, the unstoppable Werkself against a struggling Bayern side, Xabi Alonso versus Vincent Kompany – all of Europe watching. And then? Well, then Bayer 04 put on a performance that felt more like a dress rehearsal gone wrong rather than a big premiere. A 0-3 defeat in Munich. Not quite what we had in mind.

Losing happens. Especially in Munich. The Bundesliga is full of teams that know this pain all too well. But some defeats leave you wondering, "How did that happen?" And then there are games like this one, where the answer is painfully obvious. It all started early: nine minutes in, Olise sends in a cross, Kane nods it home – 1-0. Leverkusen had barely settled into the match, and already they were chasing.

But credit where it's due, Bayer wasn’t playing badly. Jeremie Frimpong had a golden chance to equalize, but Manuel Neuer did what he does best – denied it with a brilliant save. From then on, the game became scrappy, full of fouls and yellow cards. Tense, but manageable. At halftime, 1-0 down, still everything to play for. But then came the moment that defined the night: Kovar’s unfortunate mistake, Musiala pounced – 2-0. And just like that, the fight seemed to drain away.

When Nordi Mukiele saw a second yellow card, it was clear: this wasn’t going to be Leverkusen’s night. Then, just to make things worse, Edmond Tapsoba decided to wrap his arms around Harry Kane like a long-lost friend in the penalty box. The result? A penalty, a Kane goal, and a final score of 0-3. Ouch.

It would be easy to point fingers at individual players, but the truth is, this was a collective collapse. And to be fair, this team has given us nothing but world-class performances all season. So why not believe in them for the second leg? Sure, a 0-3 deficit is brutal, but football has seen crazier comebacks. Or, in Alonso’s own words: "We have to come back."

So, let’s wipe the slate clean, take care of Bremen in the Bundesliga, and then throw everything at Bayern in the return leg. The Champions League has written some legendary underdog stories. Why shouldn’t Bayer 04 be the next one?