Grimaldo bends it (again), Leverkusen bends – but doesn’t break

Well, Champions League nights are supposed to be glamorous, aren’t they? But Bayer 04’s opener in Copenhagen was more like one of those dramatic Nordic crime thrillers – cold setting, unexpected twists, and a plot that had us all screaming at the screen. Only difference? No one died, thank God – though our nerves came close.

Let’s be real: a 2–2 draw away at FC Copenhagen isn’t exactly the “statement win” we had in mind after steamrolling Frankfurt. Twice down, twice levelled – it was messy, frustrating, but in the end, it was Bayer-style chaotic redemption. You know, the kind we fans have gotten oddly comfortable with. Maybe too comfortable.

The evening started the way most horror stories do – with a mistake. Nine minutes in, Copenhagen sliced through our backline like it was IKEA particle board. Larsson scores, 1–0, and the Danish crowd goes wild. Our response? Ball possession. Lots of it. Like, “statistically impressive, emotionally unsatisfying” levels of it. We moved the ball, we passed, we circled – and yet Copenhagen had the better chances. If not for Flekken, who pulled off a massive save before the break (on his UCL debut, no less), we could’ve gone in two down.

Second half? Much better. Hjulmand shuffled the deck, bringing on some young legs and much-needed spark. Ben Seghir, Garcia, and Maza changed the tempo. Suddenly there was drive. There were ideas. There was… hope. And just when that hope was starting to feel like another cruel footballing mirage, guess who stepped up?

Alejandro. Freaking. Grimaldo.

The man’s left foot must’ve been blessed by some ancient footballing deity. Another direct free kick, another postage-stamp finish into the top corner. If you’re keeping count – that’s six (!) free kick goals since 2023. At this point, UEFA might as well ban him from set-pieces for fairness. But we’ll take it. 1–1. Game on.

Or not. Because this is Bayer 04, and we don’t do “easy.” Just four minutes after the equalizer, we fell asleep at the back, and Copenhagen punished us. Again. 2–1. It felt like getting dumped via WhatsApp: you saw it coming, but it still hurts.

But here’s where this team shows its teeth. New squad, new coach, plenty of work in progress – sure. But what they showed in the final minutes was pure mental strength. 90+1, Echeverri (what a spark he’s been!) takes a shot, deflects off poor Hatzidiakos, boom – back of the net. 2–2. Equal parts skill, luck, and stubborn refusal to lose.

So yeah – we didn’t win. But we didn’t fall apart either. And considering it was the first Champions League night for six of our players, in a cold and hostile away environment, there’s plenty to build on. Mark Flekken looked solid, Grimaldo continues to defy physics, and the squad – even if still learning to play together – showed real fight.

Now we move. Sunday, it’s Gladbach at home. Time to trade icy Scandinavia for the warm chaos of the BayArena. Let’s hope the momentum carries. Let’s hope the fire burns a little brighter. And above all – let’s keep that Grimaldo left foot far, far away from injury.

Because if that thing keeps bending balls into top corners, Europe better brace itself.