Bonfire Night Blowout: Bayer Gets Burned at Anfield

On a night when the skies over Liverpool were already primed for fireworks, Bayer 04 walked right into a Bonfire Night showdown at Anfield. It’s a classic English tradition to light up the night on November 5th, and Liverpool made sure we saw just how explosive they could be. Unfortunately for us, the fireworks on the pitch all came from the Reds. And yet, for one glorious half, it looked like our Werkself might actually manage to put a damper on the celebrations.

With seven points from three Champions League matches, we arrived with the ambition to silence the legendary Anfield crowd, if only for a while. Xabi Alonso, back on his old stomping grounds, put together a lineup designed to strengthen the defense and keep Liverpool’s attack in check. And in the first half, it worked like a charm. Bayer controlled possession, stayed disciplined, and even outplayed Liverpool in duels. For 45 minutes, we showed everyone that we didn’t come to England to sit back. Ball possession? Ours. Duel percentage? Ours, too. To hold Liverpool off like that on their own turf is no small feat, and we had reason to be optimistic heading into the break.

But alas, dreams can fade quickly at Anfield. The second half saw Liverpool unleash a display worthy of Bonfire Night. First came Luis Diaz, then Cody Gakpo, hitting us with a brutal one-two punch that shattered our resolve. Within minutes, we found ourselves 2-0 down, and any hope of escaping with points evaporated. The Anfield crowd came alive, and suddenly Bayer’s control slipped through our fingers. The team tried to regroup, with Xhaka and the midfield fighting to wrestle back possession, but the chances just wouldn’t fall our way. Diaz, fully in the zone, added two more to complete a ruthless 4-0 scoreline that left us reeling.

The frustration was real—not because we didn’t try, but because the first half had shown we could match them stride for stride. To go down so hard in the second half was a tough pill to swallow. But there’s no time to dwell on it. The Champions League march goes on, and Bundesliga duty calls on Saturday with a clash in Bochum. A break would be nice with the packed schedule, but for now, we press on. If there’s one lesson to take away from this wild Anfield night, it’s how vital those last 30 minutes are in a place as intense as Liverpool. Xabi Alonso knew this wouldn’t be an easy task, but it’s these hard knocks that will only make us stronger.