dpa
Leverkusen, Germany
Freshly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen left for London on Wednesday as business as usual returned in their search for more titles and records.
Leverkusen take a 2-0 lead and an unbeaten season record of 43 matches into Thursday’s Europa League second leg quarter-final at West Ham United.
Xabi Alonso’s team clinched a first ever Bundesliga title on Sunday with five games to spare when they thrashed Werder Bremn 5-0.
Apart from the Europa League are also in the German Cup final where they are big favourites against second division Kaiserslautern on May 25.
If they avoid defeat again on Thursday, Leverkusen will become the first team from the top five European leagues to go unbeaten in 44 matches, moving one ahead of Italy’s Juventus.
Training resumed on Tuesday after the players got Monday off to recover from the Bundesliga title celebrations, and they left for the date at London Stadium after a final session Wednesday.
“It is certainly something special but you realise that everyday life quickly catches up with you again,” sporting director Simon Rolfes said on Wednesday.
Rolfes confirmed that the team remains fully focussed and that he doesn’t expect any kind of complacency: “We have reached one thing but two not yet. Therefore we are continuing.” Rolfes said that last season’s Europa League, where they reached the semis, was one reason for the big success this term.
He said the team has vowed that “if we get another chance to reach the final we want to take it.” Leverkusen were beaten by Roma in the 2023 semis, and the Italians could be their opponents again, leading their quarter-final tie with AC Milan 1-0.
But first Leverkusen must prevail at West Ham, with midfielder Granit Xhaka knowing from his Arsenal days how difficult the task will be in front of 70,000 where the hosts won’t be sitting back like last week.
“I have played there for seven years. I know how difficult it is.
They will be a different team,” Xhaka said, naming the 2-0 advantage “a very dangerous result.”
