Review of the double-winning season! Part two: Everlasting success

Boniface sidelined, Kossounou wins AFCON

2024 starts with bad news for Bayer 04: Victor Boniface suffered a groin injury at the Nigeria training camp in preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations. The striker, unable to take part in the tournament, returns to Leverkusen straightaway and is out of action for three months. His Leverkusen teammates Edmond Tapsoba, Amine Adli and Odilon Kossounou compete for their national sides in the AFCON tournament.

For Kossounou and the Ivory Coast, AFCON in their own country ends in triumph: The hosts beat Nigeria 2-1 in the final. The Werkself defender said on his return to Leverkusen: "I experienced everything at the tournament. It was painful losing 4-0 in front of our own fans in the group stage. But we carried on and won in the end. That helps me and my mentality – hopefully I can pass on some of that to the team here in Leverkusen."

Top at the winter break in January

The tenuous hopes of Bundesliga rivals that Bayer 04 could be weakened by three players being away on international duty and the loss of Boniface are dashed. The Alonso team maintain their winning ways in the New Year. A goal in added time from Exequiel Palacios secures a 1-0 win in Augsburg to ensure top spot at the winter break on matchday 17 in the middle of January 2024. Leverkusen go into the second half of the season with a one-point lead over Bayern Munich. The late goal from Palacios is the start of a run of last-minute goals."

‘Last-minute Kusen’ are unstoppable

Bayer 04 also win the second tricky away game a week later with a 3-2 victory over RB Leipzig – and the team’s comeback qualities are demonstrated after going behind twice. Nathan Tella and Jonathan Tah both level to cancel out Leipzig leads. Piero Hincapie lands the knockout blow, once again in added time.

The crowd at the BayArena experienced another nail-biting match at the beginning of February. This time in the DFB Pokal. The Werkself and VfB Stuttgart compete on equal terms in a tight game in the quarter-finals. The Black and Reds again go behind twice against the impressive Swabians. Bayer 04 show grit and determination in hitting back with goals from Robert Andrich and Amine Adli. And Leverkusen again secure a last-minute winner with a header from Jonathan Tah on 90 minutes. The stadium goes crazy. The Werkself are in the semi-finals. It feels like anything is possible.

Masterful against the record champions

The next football fest on Bismarckstraße follows four days later. Bayern Munich are the visitors. The team in second are two points behind the league leaders from Leverkusen at that point and are looking to knock Bayer 04 off top spot. But that doesn't happen. The Werkself dominate the game, are on top in all areas and once again produce thrilling football in a 3-0 win. Bayern have no chance and they go behind to a goal scored by Josip Stanisic, the loanee from the Munich side. "Of course, it was a special moment," said the goalscorer after the game. "You don't play every day against the club you come from and are actually still at." Alejandro Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong net the other goals against the record champions. Bayer 04 extend the lead to five points. A big step forward to taking the title.

The Werkself send out clear signals to the rivals in February: They win all four Bundesliga matches in addition to the DFB Pokal quarter-final. At the beginning of March, Bayer 04 win the away derby in Cologne 2-0 with goals from Frimpong and Grimaldo while Bayern Munich only draw 2-2 in Freiburg extending the lead for the team led by Xabi Alonso to ten points.

Schick's late goals against Qarabag

Leverkusen make the Round of 16 tie against Qarabag in the Europa League very exciting. The Azerbaijani side, previously played in the group stage, are 2-0 up on 70 minutes in the game in Baku. First, Florian Wirtz pulled a goal back with a lob and Patrik Schick levelled in added time to set up a good position for the return match in Leverkusen. After no goals in the first half, Qarabag are again two goals up in the second 45. Hradecky and Co. are on the verge of the first defeat of the season and an exit from the Europa League. Then the almost impossible happens again: Frimpong pulls a goal back at 2-1. And the Black and Reds turn the game round in added time with two goals from Patrik Schick. The Czechia international is the match winner for 'Last-minute Kusen' with his late brace (90+3' and 90+7') – and the BayArena goes crazy again.

Xabi Alonso: "I'm in the right place here"

At the end of March, TSG Hoffenheim experience in the Bundesliga what all the opponents of the Werkself have to watch out for up to the final kick of the game. The day before the match, Xabi Alonso announces he will be the coach under the Cross next season. "I'm in the right place here, I'm staying at Bayer 04," said the Spaniard who was greeted with applause from his team for that. The Spaniard can rely on the strong mentality of his players in the game against Hoffenheim as well. TSG lead 1-0 at the BayArena on 88 minutes. Is the incredible Leverkusen run actually coming to an end this time? No! Robert Andrich nets the equaliser, Patrik Schick, who clearly found pleasure in last-minute goals, put the ball in the back of the net in added time to secure a 2-1 victory (90+1’). "I'm speechless, what a finish," said the Czechia international beaming after the final whistle. "We kept believing right to the end. It's incredible."

DFB Pokal final for the fifth time

Less exciting, but no less thrilling, is the semi-final of the DFB Pokal against Fortuna Düsseldorf four days later. The Werkself are on top from the kick-off and win 4-0 on 3 April with goals from Frimpong (8'), Amine Adli (20') and Florian Wirtz (36'/60') and thereby go through to the DFB Pokal final for the fifth time. "This team only knows 100%," said midfield maestro Granit Xhaka after the win. "The machine carries on," reports the kicker sports journal. And the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung sees "fleet of foot Leverkusen players" who remain unbeaten for the 40th game in succession.

A run like that is only possible because everybody has their feet on the ground. Because players and coaches dedicate themselves to the next challenge with the highest possible level of concentration. Jonathan Tah puts it as follows: "Take it game by game, focus on the here and now: Those are not just empty words for us, they reflect our attitude and daily approach 100% ."

Between the Bundesliga and Europa League

The gap in the league to second-placed Bayern Munich is now 13 points. And, as the Werkself beat Union Berlin 1-0 on 6 April at the An der Alten Försterei Stadium and FCB surprisingly lose 3-2 in Heidenheim, winning the Bundesliga is suddenly just one game away. With a comfortable 16-point lead, Bayer 04 were able to seal the title at home at the BayArena against Werder Bremen on matchday 29. Match points for the Werkself! Everyone at the club is working flat out to be prepared for that potentially historic day.

But before that, there is the first leg in the Europa League quarter-finals against Premier League West Ham United. Xabi Alonso knows there could be the need for a patient approach against the Hammers. And the Bayer 04 head coach is right again with that assessment. For a long time it looks as though the game at the BayArena will end in a goalless draw. Then Alonso's subs find the target: Jonas Hofmann puts the Black and Reds ahead with a powerful shot (83'). And Victor Boniface finally makes it 2-0 with a header (90+12'), a good result looking ahead to the return match in London.

14 April 2024: Champions of Germany for the first time!

And then comes a day for the history books, a day never to be forgotten! Bayer 04 entertain Werder Bremen on 14 April 2024. A win would make the Werkself champions of Germany first time in the club's history. Thousands of fans welcome the team bus on Bismarckstraße. Flags, banners, confetti. Black and red wherever you look. There's something in the air. The atmosphere at the BayArena is indescribable before the kick-off. Tension and excitement evident everywhere. The Werkself are fully focused going into the special match. The first celebration in the stands comes on 25 minutes when Victor Boniface converts a penalty. Granit Xhaka doubles the lead on the hour mark with an impressive long-range effort. And substitute Florian Wirtz rounds off the 5-0 victory with a hat-trick – Bayer 04 Leverkusen are champions of Germany for the first time in the 120 years at the club's history. There is no restraint. Fans storm onto the pitch after Wirtz nets his third goal. Referee Harm Osmers takes the diplomatic option and blows the final whistle on 89 minutes. That marked the start of a champions party at the BayArena that lasts for hours. "History has given us a Schale," calls out CEO Fernando Carro from the balcony on the box level to the thousands of fans gathered on the pitch at the BayArena. "We have the best fans in Germany, the best team, the best players, the best coach, the best club, the best staff!" Sheer emotion. Meisterkusen celebrate magical moments. Everybody's embracing each other. It's done and dusted. Something that many have really wanted for at least two decades.

Between the Bundesliga and Europa League

The gap in the league to second-placed Bayern Munich is now 13 points. And, as the Werkself beat Union Berlin 1-0 on 6 April at the An der Alten Försterei Stadium and FCB surprisingly lose 3-2 in Heidenheim, winning the Bundesliga is suddenly just one game away. With a comfortable 16-point lead, Bayer 04 were able to seal the title at home at the BayArena against Werder Bremen on matchday 29. Match points for the Werkself! Everyone at the club is working flat out to be prepared for that potentially historic day.

But before that, there is the first leg in the Europa League quarter-finals against Premier League West Ham United. Xabi Alonso knows there could be the need for a patient approach against the Hammers. And the Bayer 04 head coach is right again with that assessment. For a long time it looks as though the game at the BayArena will end in a goalless draw. Then Alonso's subs find the target: Jonas Hofmann puts the Black and Reds ahead with a powerful shot (83'). And Victor Boniface finally makes it 2-0 with a header (90+12'), a good result looking ahead to the return match in London.

14 April 2024: Champions of Germany for the first time!

And then comes a day for the history books, a day never to be forgotten! Bayer 04 entertain Werder Bremen on 14 April 2024. A win would make the Werkself champions of Germany first time in the club's history. Thousands of fans welcome the team bus on Bismarckstraße. Flags, banners, confetti. Black and red wherever you look. There's something in the air. The atmosphere at the BayArena is indescribable before the kick-off. Tension and excitement evident everywhere. The Werkself are fully focused going into the special match. The first celebration in the stands comes on 25 minutes when Victor Boniface converts a penalty. Granit Xhaka doubles the lead on the hour mark with an impressive long-range effort. And substitute Florian Wirtz rounds off the 5-0 victory with a hat-trick – Bayer 04 Leverkusen are champions of Germany for the first time in the 120 years at the club's history. There is no restraint. Fans storm onto the pitch after Wirtz nets his third goal. Referee Harm Osmers takes the diplomatic option and blows the final whistle on 89 minutes. That marked the start of a champions party at the BayArena that lasts for hours. "History has given us a Schale," calls out CEO Fernando Carro from the balcony on the box level to the thousands of fans gathered on the pitch at the BayArena. "We have the best fans in Germany, the best team, the best players, the best coach, the best club, the best staff!" Sheer emotion. Meisterkusen celebrate magical moments. Everybody's embracing each other. It's done and dusted. Something that many have really wanted for at least two decades.

Bayer 04 make history

And the run continues to matchday 34, the day the Werkself are presented with the Meisterschale. Bayer 04 make history with the 2-1 win against FC Augsburg as the first club in the history of the Bundesliga to go a whole season unbeaten. When the skipper Lukas Hradecky receives the Schale at 17.38 CEST on 18 May 2024 that is the reward for an incredible season for Leverkusen where numerous club records have been beaten:

• 28 wins in a season – the previous record for Bayer 04 was 21 wins in 1996/97 and 2001/02
• 90 points – 17 more points than the previous best in 1999/2000 and 40 (!) more points than in the previous season
• 89 goals – 80 goals in 2021/22 was the previous highest
• 24 goals conceded – old record: 30 conceded in 1998/99
• 17 away games unbeaten (only Bayern Munich achieved that twice before)
• 10 league wins on the bounce
• 7 away wins in succession
• 16 clean sheets

Bayer 04 also break a special record across competitions in Europea: The Werkself remain unbeaten in 51 games – the previous European record was held by Benfica who went unbeaten in 48 games in succession between 1963 and 1965.

EL final: Only Atalanta beat the Werkself

It is a shame that the incredible Bayer 04 run ended on match number 52 in the Europa League final against Atalanta. But the Werkself proved to be good losers. Jeremie Frimpong admitted after the game: "We are very disappointed, we’ve lost the final. But Atalanta were the better team, they deserved to win." 12,000 fans supported the Werkself in Dublin, produced a great atmosphere and sensed there would be no happy ending on that evening. Three goals for Ademola Lookman seal a 3-0 victory in the final. But the Black and Reds supporters pay homage to a fantastic Europa League season for their team after the final whistle with loud applause and songs.

Hradecky and Co. secure the double in Berlin

Just three days later, over 27,000 Bayer 04 fans again provide incredible support at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin for the DFB Pokal final against FC Kaiserslautern. Granit Xhaka nets the winner with a long-range strike on 60 minutes. Even with a man down – Odilon Kossounou was sent off just before half-time for a second yellow card offence – the Werkself control the game to the end and win the DFB Pokal for the second time after 1993. At 22.22 CEST on 25 May 2024, the Werkself captain Lukas Hradecky hoists the trophy into the Berlin night air. The day after that, the double winners celebrate a ‘Coming home’ event with tens of thousands of people on the streets and 40,000 fans at the BayArena creating the biggest party Leverkusen has ever seen. The joy amongst the fans and team, the images of the reception for the team at the BayArena, the feeling of having achieved something wonderful together, all that will never be forgotten.

The 2023/24 season was historic for Bayer 04 and demonstrates what can be achieved together with a special spirit.