Admin I Friday, March 15, 2024
LEVERKUSEN – Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka has insisted that the team didn’t ride its luck in a dramatic Europa League win over Qarabag but rather showed its class.
Patrik Schick scored twice in stoppage time to see Leverkusen into the quarter-finals with a 3-2 victory on Thursday night, after also netting a 2-2 equalizer in the first leg after the 90 minutes had expired.
The latest heroics stretched Leverkusen’s season-long unbeaten run in all competitions to 37 matches, with Xabi Alonso’s team now on 11 stoppage time goals during the remarkable streak.
“There are people who talk about luck. But it isn’t luck if you have done it eight or nine times. We believe in ourselves until the end and show an unbelievable mentality,” Xhaka said.
Alonso echoed this statement as he heaped praise on his team that fought from 2-0 down in both games against Qarabag.
“This is something you can’t train, it is the belief of the entire team and of every individual player in himself,” the Spaniard said.
Midfielder Robert Andrich spoke of an amazing night but said he would personally prefer a little less drama in the upcoming tasks.
“I don’t need to pull it off so often in injury time. And many spectators don’t need that either, their hearts were in their mouths a few times today. Of course such victories are great, but I’d rather take a 3-0,” he said.
Thursday’s win kept Leverkusen in contention for a title treble. They are 10 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and also in the semi-finals of the German Cup where they are the only top flight team left.
