Home Fortress Reloaded: Leverkusen Takes Back the BayArena

Finally, it's back: that familiar feeling when you walk into the BayArena knowing that no one's leaving here with points except us. After the unfortunate draw against Holstein Kiel and the international break, Bayer 04 has made a strong comeback against Eintracht Frankfurt with a hard-fought 2-1 victory. This wasn't just a win, it was a statement. Our home strength, which had been questioned a bit recently, is back. And just in time!

You might think the team would have crumbled mentally after the early penalty drama, when Boniface missed from the spot and Marmoush put Frankfurt in front. But no! Xabi Alonso has clearly injected a real winning mentality into the squad—no matter what happens, the boys stay focused. The coach spoke after the game about "great mentality and superb togetherness," and it showed. Where heads might have dropped in the past, this time they shifted up a gear. Robert Andrich, who was seemingly everywhere on the pitch, scored the deserved equalizer after a beautiful combination—this was no fluke, it was pure determination.

And then there was Boniface, who surely had to gather himself after missing that penalty but ended up being the hero of the night. His header in the 72nd minute to make it 2-1 wasn’t just beautifully worked, it symbolized this team’s comeback spirit. Mistakes happen—what counts is how you respond. And Boniface responded like a true striker.

What I personally loved: it wasn’t just the usual suspects shining. Sure, Andrich and Boniface were brilliant, but Martin Terrier, who provided his first assist for us, and the ever-present Granit Xhaka, who set the tone with a shot in the first minute, also played key roles in our dominance. And hey, 27 shots! That shows we're not just playing well but constantly creating danger. It was a tough battle, yes, but these are the games you have to win if you want to compete at the top.

Of course, we can’t forget the man between the posts: Lukas Hradecky celebrated his 300th Bundesliga game—the first foreign goalkeeper to ever reach that milestone! The fact that this landmark came against his former club made it even more special. While he couldn’t stop Marmoush’s penalty, he once again showed why he's so important to us. And his self-deprecating comment, "I guess that means I’m an old man now!" shows that despite all seriousness, he never loses his sense of humor.

This wasn’t just a victory. It was a statement! The return of the home strength we might have briefly lost earlier this season. Now things will come thick and fast, with the trip to Brest for the Champions League and then Bremen in the Bundesliga. But with the form these guys are showing right now, nothing should scare us.

So, dear Bayer family, savor this win! We’re back where we belong—and that’s not just the BayArena, but clearly at the top of the Bundesliga!