Ten rounds and ten points. Bayer Leverkusen’s gap to Bayern Munich is there, which is now the factory club’s only realistic chaser in the fight for the Bundesliga title. In the history of the league, no team has lost such a lead so close to the end of the series. With a total of zero losses for the entire season, such a collapse does not seem likely.
The star goalkeeper and captain of Leverkusen, which is very close to its first championship Lukas Hradecky laughed at that statistic in an interview with Urheilu on Monday.
– Every week there are different new statistics. We keep our feet 10 centimeters in the ground and do not float. Of course, it would be disappointing if nothing from the season was left behind. In the last three rounds, we haven’t played well at all, but we still won.
In the pharmaceutical factory town of Leverkusen, there is a deep trauma from the spring of 2002, when the club lost the championship, which was already close at hand, by a point, and on top of that, the final in both the Champions League and the German Cup. by Michael Ballack and other stars’ seasons ended in tears.
82 clean sheets in the Bundesliga
Hradecky, who has played almost all of Leverkusen’s league matches this season, saved the 82nd clean sheet of his Bundesliga career on Sunday, when FC Köln lost 2-0 away. From Hradecky’s point of view, the match followed a pattern familiar from recent times: there was no mention of defensive work. Sargis Adamyan in the 51st minute, in a 0–1 situation, headed the inside post, which was already the only super-dangerous goal position for the home team, who had fallen short due to an offside at the beginning of the game.
– I don’t need a rain of balls so that I can shine. I’d rather not save even once and win than save 10 times and lose, said Hradecky, who has played the most matches among the current foreign players in the Bundesliga.
For example, in a predicted very difficult home match against Bayern Munich on February 10, Hradecky registered one save when the mighty German club was beaten 3–0. With a total of 65 saves, Hradecky is 12th in the league’s goalkeeper statistics this season. At the top is Hoffenheim Oliver Baumannwho has made 105 saves.
“In the fingers of one hand”
– The so-called really hard saves are probably in the fingers of one hand, and a large part of them came against Bayern (2–2) and Stuttgart (1–1).
While Leverkusen conceded 49 hits on their way to the sixth place last season, i.e. 1.44 per match, now setbacks have come on average in 0.67 matches – scored goals are again 2.54 per match. According to the so-called advanced statistics, 21 balls should have gone into Leverkusen’s net.
– There would have been many points in those five goals, says Hradecky.
He now wants to talk about statistics that he is not directly involved in.
– I used to follow with real interest when Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea stormed to number one in England and Europe. Although the team certainly dominated many statistics, Mourinho was particularly interested in the statistics of blocked moves. So was me as a goalkeeper, and in that our ground floor has been really great, praises Hradecky, whose cooperation especially the top scorer by Jonathan Tah with is completely seamless.
As the series gets closer to its conclusion, the pressure on the players should also increase.
– Fortunately, we have such young carefree friends like Jeremy Frimpong, who probably doesn’t even know how to stress. Let’s say this nicely that Jonas Hofmann probably knows more about these things than Frimpong, Hradecky says, laughing about his friend, a balanced midfielder.
Frimpong may not be a statistician, but he is a gamer.
– Our sidepack Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo have made the powers 17+15 into two beds. It has a pretty big meaning to where we are now.
Rest in Europe games
Leverkusen has enough of a game load, as this week the team will face Qarabag Agdam from Azerbaijan in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. In the semi-final of the German Cup, on April 3, they will face Fortuna Düsseldorf, who play lower in the league, so the club has a chance for the treble, which 22 years ago went completely out of control from the then super combination.
– Mentally, the game load is only good, because it helps the team get their thoughts off the Bundesliga.
Another goalkeeper has been standing between the posts in Europe games Matej Kovarwhich Hradecky says he considers a meaningful solution.
In 2002, Leverkusen’s great team quickly disintegrated due to the club’s resources and player policies. Bayer 04 wants to buy cheap, refine and sell on. For example, Frimpong, Grimaldo, injured goal stick Victor Boniface and Germany’s young star Florian Wirtz are players that Leverkusen fans should enjoy while still possible. It won’t be long now.
– The football team always changes. We’re not playing in the spirit of The Last Dance, if that’s what you mean, Hradecky is referring to a documentary series made about the Chicago Bulls’ previous NBA championship season (1997-1998).
Baby girl rules life
The Finn, who is tied to the club until spring 2026, is not in the starting pits. He has a great time with his German life partner Esther’s and with the couple’s baby girl in Dusseldorf, from where the Autobahn takes you to practice and games.
– Now a two-month-old boss is waiting at home. If in the past there have been no problems letting go of futs when the work is done, at least there isn’t now, laughs the goalkeeper, whose parents were in the village at the end of the week watching the game and getting to know the third-generation newcomer.
Even if Hradecky’s championship in a giant role as captain would be one of the greatest Finnish team sports of all time, it would not be quite historic. Pekka from Lagerblom came in a smaller role in Bundesliga champion Werder Bremen already in 2003–2004.
– Actually, it’s a bit sad that Peka’s championship has been so forgotten.
The head coach is a hot name
Bayer Leverkusen’s championship or even championships would be strongly personified by the head coach, the Spanish player legend to Xabi Alonsowho has become the hottest name in his field during this season.
– Already from the beginning of the season, our way of playing felt and looked good, but there was no talk of the championship then. The expected value has increased with time. There must always be a small distance between the players and the head coach, but we have a very low barrier. Xabi comes to play with us and will sometimes put the ball in from special situations. He is really liked, he is like one of us.
When Leverkusen returns from an away game trip to Freiburg on the 17th of this month, Hradecky will shift his thoughts to the A national team. It will face Wales on March 21 in the EC play-off. If the job is done, the competition place will be decided against Poland in a home match on March 26. The goalkeeper’s recipe is clear.
– Leverkusen has not lost a match this season. If I bring it with me to Huuhkaji, that’s enough.
On Monday evening, Hradecky said that he would put the baby to sleep and sit down with his spouse to review Netflix’s selection. The man’s favorite Czech beers now stay in the fridge to collect more frost.
– My father and I took those yesterday, so today will be missed.