Is it raining goals in Brittany? Unfortunately, not for us!

What a tough grind. In the Champions League, we usually expect magic moments, spectacular goals, and a dominant Bayer 04 that shows even the toughest opponents how it’s done. But not in Brittany, and certainly not against Stade Brest, a team that fully embraced the underdog role even before the match. It ended 1-1 – a result that feels as lukewarm as a Monday morning when your coffee is cold. There was more in it for us, wasn’t there?

The pre-game circumstances were as bizarre as they come. Victor Boniface, our goal machine, had to stay home after a car accident, and Xabi Alonso rotated his starting eleven by eight positions – which felt just as disjointed on the pitch as it sounds. Of course, we understand that even the backup players need trust and match practice, but sometimes you can’t help but wish we’d just field our strongest lineup and get the job done. While the Breton fans were rocking the stands with surprising energy in a stadium so small that you briefly wondered if we’d somehow dropped down to the Europa League, Bayer 04 struggled to get into the game.

The match itself meandered for the most part. Sure, Florian Wirtz dazzled us again with an early goal – something we can apparently rely on this season. Wirtz and early goals are like bread and butter right now. And yet, just as we were starting to enjoy the 1-0 lead, Brest hit back with an equalizer that came as suddenly as a November storm on the coast. The flow of the game? Anything but regal. At no point did it feel like we had things fully under control, and all those substitutions only added to the lack of rhythm.

So what do we take away from this? One point. Sure, in the group stage, every point counts, and we remain unbeaten. But let’s be honest – no true Werkself fan can be satisfied with that. Particularly gutting was the foul on Amine Adli in the dying minutes. Watching a player being stretchered off in pain puts all sporting ambitions into perspective. The injury clouded the result even further, leaving us with real concerns. That’s exactly what we didn’t want to take away from a game that was supposed to be a straightforward task.

We have to take the Champions League seriously, even against the so-called “small” teams. Stade Brest might not sound like a big name in European football, but the team from Brittany has already given Sturm Graz and Salzburg plenty of problems. And now, us too. We had hoped to brush these opponents aside on our way to the knockout rounds, but that’s the Champions League for you, and as they say, there are no easy games. Still, it leaves a bitter taste. Three points in Brest would’ve put us in the driver’s seat for the knockout stage. Now we’re in a position where every point will have to be fought for.

But hey, we’re still Bayer 04, and there’s no reason to hang our heads. The next matches are coming quickly – in the Bundesliga and in the cup, there’s no time to dwell on it. Let’s just hope the rotation doesn’t become the norm, and that we bounce back in full strength soon. The fans at the BayArena surely wouldn’t mind a few clear wins in the coming weeks – and especially a commanding performance in the Champions League.

Because one thing is clear: A 1-1 draw in Brest isn’t enough for us. We want more. Always.