There is no day without a record for Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Lerverkusen. The Aspirin team, Bundesliga champions for several days, closed the domestic championship undefeated with six draws and 28 wins, the last this Saturday at home against Augsburg on the day that closed the league tournament (2-1).
Since the reunification of Germany, no team, not even the dominant Bayern, had managed to go an entire season without being defeated. Outside of German lands, only three clubs have won the title in the major leagues with only victories or draws. Milan achieved it in the 1991-92 season, Arsenal in 2003-04 and Juventus in 2011-12.
Bayer has also not lost a game in either the German Cup or the Europa League, qualifying for the final in both tournaments. In the absence of those two duels, which give them the possibility of winning a triplet of titles, the German champion has gone 51 games without losing, with a balance of 42 wins and nine draws.
The last defeat of the Leverkusen team dates back to May 23, 2023, on the last day of the last Bundesliga season against Bochum. Since European competitions have existed, starting in 1955, Bayer is the team with the most consecutive games without losing, three more than Benfica achieved between December 1963 and February 1965.
Bayer’s last victim was an Augsburg team that was easy prey for the superiority, once again, of Xabi Alonso’s pupils. In less than half an hour they had already resolved their victory. A formality, although the first goal was a gift from Koubek, the opposing goalkeeper. His clearance was intercepted by Adli, who gave Boniface the 1-0 lead. Minute 12. A quarter of an hour later, Robert Andrich scored 2-0 with a backheel, after a rebound inside the area. Three shots on goal, two goals and everything was on track.
Augsburg, with nothing at stake, suddenly emerged in the second half. Amidst the leader’s relaxation, the young Mert Konur, 18 years old, beat Hradecky with his right hand. The 2-1 score, in the 64th minute, woke up Leverkusen, but they then collided with some saves from Kobel, and Hradecky did the same at the other goal to thwart Biel’s 2-2 lead.
But in the end it was another record victory for Bayer, one more for Xabi Alonso’s team, and a general celebration after the game: the new Bundesliga champions, thus breaking Bayern’s hegemony, received the title of champion on the pitch of the BayArena.
Bayer Leverkusen: Hrádecky; Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba; Frimpong (Stanisic, m. 82), Andrich, Palacios (Xhaka, m. 70), Grimaldo (Hincapie, m. 70); Adli (Wirtz, m. 62), Hofmann; Boniface (Schick, m. 63).
Augsburg: Koubek; Pedersen, Gouweleeuw, Uduokhai, Iago; Breithaupt (English, m. 41), Dorsch; Maier (Kucuksahin, m. 91), Kömür (Biel, m. 74); Demirovi? (Beljo, m. 91), Tietz (Michel, m. 74).
Goals: 1-0, m. 12: Boniface. 2-0, m. 27: Andrich. 2-1, m. 62: Mert Komur.
Referee: Matthias Jollenbeck. He cautioned the visitor Uduokhai with a yellow card (m. 80).
Incidents: match corresponding to the last day of the German Bundesliga, played at the Bay Arena in front of around 30,000 spectators.
