Leverkusen is seeking to keep the Bundesliga title fight going after its shock cup exit
DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — After one of Germany’s all-time greatest cup shocks, Bayer Leverkusen needs to dust itself off and try to keep the fight for the league title going.
After Leverkusen was stunned 2-1 by third-division Arminia Bielefeld in the German Cup semifinals on Tuesday, the Bundesliga is the only chance for Xabi Alonso’s team to end the season with a trophy. It’s a long shot.
Bayern Munich leads Leverkusen by six points with seven games remaining, though Leverkusen can focus solely on the league. Bayern has a slightly trickier Bundesliga schedule and a looming Champions League quarterfinal date with Inter Milan.
Key matchups
— Bayern has a potentially tricky trip to Augsburg on Friday night, having lost twice in the last four years at the home of its local rival.
— Leverkusen plays Heidenheim on Saturday, facing another opponent it should be expected to beat easily but which, like Bielefeld, might have a sting in the tail. Relegation-threatened Heidenheim has won its last two games to climb to 16th.
— Zsolt Low has his first Bundesliga game as Leipzig coach against Hoffenheim on Saturday. Low, formerly an assistant to Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea and Bayern, lost on debut on Wednesday to Stuttgart in the cup semifinals.
Players to watch
— Bayern is used to relying heavily on an irreplaceable English player, but this week the focus is as much on defender Eric Dier as star striker Harry Kane. Squad injuries have put pressure on Dier to combine well with Kim Min-jae at center back.
— Maximilian Beier’s form has been key to Niko Kovac’s efforts to turn around a disappointing season for 10th-placed Borussia Dortmund. Beier scored twice last week as Dortmund beat Mainz 3-1 and could be important against Freiburg on Saturday.
Injury list
— The absence of attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz has brought a shift in Leverkusen’s tactics and a slump in its results. He’s likely to miss out on Saturday, though defender Edmond Tapsoba could reportedly make his return from injury.
— Bayern’s defense is stretched after Hiroki Ito broke a bone in his foot last week and became the third Bayern defender to be seriously injured in the space of a week, joining Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano on the sidelines.
Transfer news
— Bayern great Thomas Müller is nearing an exit from the club amid reports he will not be offered a new contract when his current deal expires at the end of the season.
What they’re saying
— “Defeats are an important part of development. The team and the club are fundamentally on the right path.” — Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso
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