A Little Setback? No Problem – We've Got Schick!

There are matches that age you as a fan, and then there are games like the one against 1. FC Heidenheim, which take a whole year off your life in 90 minutes. After the international break, during which we were treated to injury updates and Hoeneß boldly guaranteeing another Bayern title, returning to Bundesliga action already had a certain edge of unease. And what does Bayer 04 do? They gift us a chaotic first 20 minutes full of defensive mishaps, poor coordination, and an opponent who once again turns half a chance into a clinical goal. Twice.

Two goals down, and the familiar frustration started to creep in. But if there’s one thing about this Bayer 04 team under Xabi Alonso, it’s that they don’t give up. It’s as if Alonso has installed a new layer of resilience, a trait we fans have often only heard about but rarely seen. It was clear that all the possession would eventually pay off. And so it did. First, Palacios gave us hope with a clinical finish, and then there was Patrik Schick—the man we’ve been searching for all season.

With a hat trick that could serve as a case study for strikers everywhere, Schick didn’t just turn the game around; he reasserted the team’s identity. That chip for the equalizer? Pure artistry. The goal just after the break? Ice-cold precision. The header for the third? A statement of his quality. It was as if Schick channeled all the doubts we’ve been carrying—Boniface’s injury, the lack of a clear backup striker—into a masterclass of center-forward play, reminding us why he’s one of the Bundesliga’s best when fit.

Yet, as sweet as this victory was, there’s an underlying unease. Why must we first dig ourselves into a hole before showing our true strength? Why does the team often look like it’s still warming up while the opponent is already operating at full throttle? Of course, it’s impressive how we wrested control of the game back, but why can’t we impose that control from the outset? These are the questions that drive Bayer fans to the brink of despair because they aren’t new.

Maybe it’s the classic Leverkusen experience: even after a 5-2 victory, you can’t help but feel there’s still something left to improve. But while the stadium roared with chants for Schick and celebrated Xhaka’s stunning strike, the bigger picture remains: this team has the potential to break free from old patterns. Whether they can do that against Salzburg in the Champions League or in the tough Bundesliga fixtures ahead remains to be seen. For now, there’s pride in knowing we can deliver breathtaking football when it matters—though we do seem to enjoy making the road as rocky as possible.

In the end, this is what it means to love this club: the belief that anything is always possible—for better or for worse. Maybe it’s these emotional rollercoasters that will one day carry us to where we’ve always wanted to be: the top. Until then, we’ll savor days like Saturday, when Patrik Schick walked off with the match ball tucked under his arm, and we all knew how it went: first drama, then ecstasy. A classic Bayer afternoon.