A Lead is Not a Win – Werkself Drops Points Yet Again

It’s almost maddening: Bayer 04 just can’t seem to learn how to hold onto a lead. There we were in Bochum with 70 percent possession, looking like the clear winners for most of the match—then the 90th minute came, and it all unraveled. Again. And yet again, it’s a team from the lower part of the table that walks away with a point. Bochum, not exactly known for being a point thief this season, showed us exactly what Bayer seems to be missing: resolve and the pure grit not to give up.

Xabi Alonso and the players sounded visibly frustrated after the game. The same feeling as against Kiel, when a last-minute equalizer shattered a win that was almost secured. It’s the same story as against Bremen. No win, just another late goal undoing all our efforts. Alonso, who had stressed at halftime that a 1-0 lead might not be enough, shows just how much it irks him that the team can’t carry his expectations onto the field. What is it that keeps us from sealing the deal after taking a lead? Why does a Bayer win this season feel like a fragile structure that could collapse at any moment?

Captain Hradecky looked despondent and called it “a bitter slap in the face”—but honestly, as fans, even we aren’t surprised anymore. The team falls back into the same patterns again and again, seeming to ease off the gas after pulling ahead. Maybe it’s also a psychological hurdle: we’re still not fully comfortable in the role of favorites. As vice-champions, Bayer 04 Leverkusen is expected to play confidently against "weaker" teams—but reality keeps proving otherwise.

Bochum’s late equalizer was a painful reminder that being the stronger team on paper means nothing. Bochum not only put up a strong fight, but they had the will to be a team that plays at our level. And us? Sometimes it feels like we rely too much on our individual skill. That hard lesson seems to be something Bayer still needs to learn, as this tendency to blow leads has become a theme of the season. We’ve now let eleven points slip away after taking the lead, putting us at the top of the league in this not-so-desirable category—hardly the kind of title Bayer fans want to see.

The frustrated faces on the players after the match say it all, yet nothing seems to change. The stats make it worse: over 70 percent possession, high pass accuracy—and still, at the end, there’s just the one point, which feels like a bad joke. We urgently need to learn what it takes to act like a top team when in the lead. It’s not only composure we’re lacking; it’s also the confidence to handle the pressure right up until the final whistle.

After the international break, we’ll be back on home turf. Maybe the support of our fans will give us the edge we need. But even that’s no guarantee we’ll come away with the points we desperately need. The performance in Bochum is another harsh reminder that Bayer 04 is still far from being a top team that can securely close out games.