Cup expert Hradecky: The moment remains forever

Lukas, are your preparations for the DFB Cup final different from a Bundesliga game?
The answer might be a bit boring: I prepare myself for this game in a quite normal way. Even though it’s different from my other cup finals without the fans. The circumstances are the same as those in Bundesliga matches over the past few weeks. To that extent, nothing really changes in my preparations.

There is the possibility of the result being decided on penalties. Do you look at how Lewandowski, Müller and Co. take theirs beforehand?
FC Bayern have been awarded a lot of penalties in previous games. So there are enough examples of how and where they shoot normally. We goalkeepers are provided with special data. However, we usually only look at that just before the matchday.

You already know what it's like to go to a cup final in Berlin. What experiences can you share with your teammates?
The situation will be different. There are no spectators. Now it's more about quality on the pitch, efficiency and, above all, absolute desire. And we have to be clear before the game that we can beat Bayern.

The Werkself fans won't be there on Saturday. Have you got a message for them?
Fans in Leverkusen have gone a long time without titles and finals. We want to change that. There's great desire amongst the fans but also amongst the players.

Did you have that feeling in 2018 when you faced Bayern with Eintracht Frankfurt? And what's your gut feeling ahead of the game on Saturday?
Back then, Bayern had an impressive second half of the season under Jupp Heynckes. Just like now under Hansi Flick and they could even be more dominant in this second half of the season and they were back then. It's impressive the way the team won the league title with 16 wins after the winter break. But that doesn't mean we don't have a chance. Tactically, we have to build on the clash from December (2-1 in Munich, ed.) and give our all mentally over 120 minutes if necessary. We're all tired after the long season and that includes Bayern. There will be moments where we have lots of space – and we have to use them.

In the event of a win, you won't be able to celebrate properly after the game.
Football is generally a social thing. But lots of things are different this season. It's too early to say how we will behave after a victory or a defeat. But having the chance to hold the golden trophy is simply fantastic – regardless of under what circumstances. The team is fully focused and you could feel that this week in training.

What thrills you most about this cup final?
Just going to the Olympic Stadium in Berlin and playing Bayern, as it feels like they play there every year, produces a cup final feeling. What gives me more strength is the fact that holidays are only on the cards after the game. Now we can give our all after the long Bundesliga season to be able to really achieve something in the end.

What does it feel like to hold this trophy?
It was really brilliant back then. Of course, it's always a good feeling to beat Bayern. But the moment where you lift the cup into the air remains forever. It's a feeling you don't experience very often in your career. Everyone has to understand that.

At the start of the season, you said you'd like to win titles with Bayer 04. How hungry are you being so close to that target?
As a football player, you always want to be the winner. But nobody hands out titles. It's not so easy to get to a cup final. I did it with Eintracht and I also won a cup in Denmark. It will be a great thing if that happened here with Leverkusen. I would be very proud of that.