The magic night of Porto

"No chance against Bayer in Porto", "Bayer's amazing victory" - these are the headlines of the news agencies just a few minutes after the final whistle, after the Werkself qualified for the next round of the European League with a 3-1 away win in Porto.

Actually, it was a completely unspectacular evening as I like it when our team takes an early lead after the first leg victory and doesn't let anything burn. At no point during the game did we have the feeling that the Porto logo would be in the draw drum on Friday.

Ball possession and pass rates were not that important in Porto. The opponents would have loved to have had the high-ranking Bayer team, who had been seen many times in the league, to throw them out of the competition by winning duels and counter-attacks. But that didn't work, because Bayer 04 had almost the entire team behind the ball from the start.

We didn't always win games like this in the past

I can still remember the times when the Werkself almost always blew the next game after an international appearance. In the current constellation of the standings we can't afford that because we're still in catch-up mode.

And the Werkself didn't let the 18th clash between the puppeteers and Bayer burn this time either. Of course you can always discuss whether the victory should not be higher. The only thing that matters to me are the three points, because we've already lost a few points against midfield teams like Freiburg and Hoffenheim at home.

And it's important that our coach rotated well, because we had 5 new players at the start who were not in the starting line-up against Porto, so today's home win is a clear sign of the breadth of the squad.

Good start in English weeks

Now all the competitions are going full steam ahead and one English week follows the other. With the 2:1 home win against Porto, the Werkself has undoubtedly made a good start here. Of course 2:1 means that we are not yet making progress, but an important foundation stone has been laid. There have been worse conditions before the second leg.

Yesterday evening's realisation is actually quite clear. With Tapsoba we have a very strong defender, who once again distinguished himself with an excellent positional play. From the way he moved, you always had the feeling that Danny da Costa had come back. Of course there were disappointments. For me, Demirbay once again failed to fulfil the hopes everyone had hoped for from his commitment. But what is not yet can still become. Even so, it was enough for a 2-1 home win, which was never in danger.

Karim turns a lost day into a won day

Until 17.22 on Saturday at the away game at Union Berlin it was rather a lost day. But then Karim nets for a 3:2 away win and the three for the Bayer. But one after the other.

In the travel description for Bayer fans to Köpenick it said: Take the S-Bahn to Baumschulenweg and then take the S47 to Spindlersfeld. From there you can walk directly to the guest block. No sooner said than done, only arrived at Baumschulenweg we had to take note that the S47 is cancelled and the next one will arrive 20 minutes later. Well, there was still time, we should be in Spindlersfeld at 14.20 o'clock. Arrived there no clue where to go and followed the other Bayer fans. Okay stadium within walking distance, yes, but that was a tight 25 minutes walk. And my ass, you arrive directly at the guest block. Once around half the stadium was announced.

At the entrance then 30 minutes endless waiting time. I read later that there was an emergency on the other side. Then that's okay, but you could have just communicated it loudly. After all, 3:20 p.m. in the block, so in time.

I honestly expected more from the Berlin fans with all the euphoria about Union. They cheered for their team, but apart from the battle cry of Iron Union there was no diversity in the songs of the locals.

1:1 at half-time, that suits the day, even though Kay Havertz equalized the deficit after a lucky goal by Gentner. The second half was then literally under fire. I don't want to have a discussion here for or against Pyro. But when I read in the newspapers that the game was about to be abandoned and the teams were in the booths at the interruption Hmmhh. Everybody in the stadium saw that the teams were not in the cabins but were on the respective benches.

To be honest, no one in the stadium had the feeling that they were being interrupted. But one thing is also clear, at some point the pyro and the firecrackers must be stopped. When Diaby made the 2:1 I could not believe it. And after Union had balanced the score I felt like I was back at halftime.

But then the Werkself had as many chances in the last 3+7 minutes as in the whole game before. And then came Karim and the threesome.

On the way back to our hotel at the Alex we saved the walk to Spindlersfeld. Just take the next tram and ask some Unioner if it stops at any S- or U-Bahn station. They helped us a lot, thank you, and so the way back was absolutely easy.

Now it's time for the Werkself not to let up. With Porto and Augsburg two important home games are coming up. The Champions League is still in sight, but we still have to make up for some deficits from the first half of the season. And if the will from the last two games is not lost, then we can do that.

Good week

With two home wins against Stuttgart and Dortmund the week after the defeat in Hoffenheim comes to a good end.

Stuttgart was certainly not a nice game, but the cup is not about shining in the end. You have to see that your club name will be in the lottery pot next Sunday, then you're on your way. And the Bayer 04 logo will be in the drum on Sunday.

The home victory against Dortmund, the emotions, it was just a dream to be in the stadium. Before the game, I would have been satisfied with one point, not least because the Dortmunders have always netted five times in the league and our boys had a blatant final weakness. But sometimes you are then rewarded for things where the reward has failed to come in the previous weeks. Leading goal for us with the first chance, then behind, equalizer, back and then the magic 81st and 82nd minute with the equalizer from Leon Bailey and the monster header to lead from El Capitano.

Now it's time to stay on the ground. Sure, celebrating's allowed. Next Saturday we're going to Union Berlin. They're recognized as being not quite so weak at home. Then we must not give back what we have won.

Unnecessary defeat in the village

The Werkself suffered a completely unnecessary defeat yesterday at the village in Sinsheim. It is and will remain the same: the chance evaluation is simply underground. It is clearly not due to the defence, which is still among the top 5 in the league in terms of the number of goals conceded. But twenty goals less than the netting competition is a clear sign.

And that's how it was yesterday. Instead of going into half-time with a comfortable lead, the score was only 1-1 after 45 minutes, but even the second half still offered enough opportunities to take the three-goal trio home. So there is then only head shaking when you get a defeat. At some point the knot bursts, that is an old football wisdom. Only at some point it can be too late.