You've got everything you need

Sometimes a Bayer 04 match feels like an IKEA shelf: technically you’ve got everything you need—possession, chances, all the nice individual parts—but in the end the whole thing still stands crooked because one tiny screw is missing. Against Dortmund, there were several of those infamous little details Hjulmand sighed about after the final whistle. And we fans know: whenever the coach talks about “small things,” it usually means the big things have blown up in our faces again.

And it all started just the way we like it in Leverkusen: us on the ball, Dortmund chasing shadows. 63 percent possession—reads almost like a threat. Ten corners, 600-plus passes, hitting the crossbar, creating chances. A perfect evening for lovers of statistics. Too bad matches are decided by goals and not by who cuddles the ball the longest.

Dortmund, meanwhile, played the classic routine: one set piece, one cross, two headers, two goals. Efficiency level: unpleasantly high. While our final third looked as if we’d signed a secret pact never to simply take a shot, BVB scored with the ease of a team that’s been to the Rhineland a few times.

But to be fair: the Werkself has spirit. After going 0–2 down, plenty of teams would’ve pulled down the shutters—but not us. We send on Kofane, who reminds everyone that goals aren’t just for looking at, you can poke them in as well. Maza delivers his first assist, and suddenly there’s fire again. BayArena roaring, Leverkusen pressing, Dortmund wobbling. Just… not breaking.

And so here we are again: feeling like we were actually the better team, yet walking away with zero points. A classic case of the “Never-Champions Experience.” Humor is mandatory here—otherwise it gets dangerous.

Luckily, Tuesday brings the next round—again Dortmund, this time in the cup. Maybe we’ll find the missing screw by then. Or at least download the efficiency app. Because one thing’s clear: the team, the fans, the atmosphere—everything’s there. We just need that one tiny thing Dortmund had yesterday. And once we find it, the world will look very different.