Even if Xabi Alonso is no longer at Bayer Leverkusen, strong traces of him remain, both at the club and in the Bundesliga. The match-up between Die Werkself and Bayern Munich, another of his former clubs, has in recent years nudged Der Klassiker aside in terms of excellence. Saturday's latest edition may not have had quite the direct rivalry of recent meetings, but many of the feelings of intensity and adrenaline were still there, providing the perfect pep for the run-in.
The 1-1 draw left both sides with frustrations. Bayern finished with nine men after Nicolás Jackson's first-half red card for a studs-up challenge on Martin Terrier, and Luis Díaz's second yellow for simulation. Uli Hoeness called the refereeing “the worst by a refereeing team I have ever witnessed in a Bundesliga match.” Díaz's dismissal was described by referee Christian Dingert as “very harsh,” and a decision that would be overturned when the rule on examining second yellow cards changes from summer.
Leverkusen's frustrations reflected a long week of effort. Home games with Arsenal and Bayern couldn't have gone much better in terms of effort, application and execution, yet they lost the lead in both games. Kasper Hjulmand lamented: “Unfortunately, we have mixed feelings again. We played very well, with structure, passion and energy.”
With a host of absentees, including mainstay Alejandro Grimaldo banned, Leverkusen pushed perhaps the two best teams in Europe to the brink of defeat in four days. Their opening was a whirlwind, with Aleix García thrashing in a goal after teenager Montrell Culbreath mugged Díaz. It felt like the Alonso era in those dizzy early moments, but points jettisoned against Mainz and Union Berlin continue to haunt them.
