Bayer crash out of nowhere: "No one expected it"

Created: 2022-08-20Updated: 2022-08-20 7:16 p.m

Hoffenheim's Christoph Baumgartner celebrates the 0:3 away win.

© Federico Gambarini/dpa

The game against Hoffenheim should be the turning point for Bayer Leverkusen, it was the next punch in the pit of the stomach.

After the 0:3 at home, the Werkself are finally in a crisis.

And finding the way out doesn't seem easy.

Leverkusen - The crash is tough, and it comes out of nowhere for everyone at Bayer Leverkusen.

"Of course nobody expected us to start like this," said national player Jonathan Tah after the 0: 3 (0: 2) against TSG Hoffenheim.

And Lukas Hradecky was also at a loss.

"I also wonder what's going on there," said the captain and goalkeeper: "I can't explain everything.

Apparently there is a greater need for speech than expected.”

After the best second half of the club's history and strong preparation, Bayer even had some insiders' tips on their slip of paper.

But instead of taking off, everything is currently going wrong.

Bayer has suffered four defeats in four competitive games, the club has never started so badly since promotion in 1979.

In addition, the Werkself, who are known for their attacking football, scored one goal fewer than all 17 of their rivals.

Everyone in Leverkusen recognized that they have a problem by Saturday at the latest.

"This is a difficult moment for all of us as a club, as it is for me," admitted Gerardo Seoane.

But processing is difficult.

The fact that the crisis came so unexpectedly "of course makes it a bit more difficult to turn around," Tah admitted.

The solutions that came directly after the Hoffenheim game were therefore not very creative and sounded more like perseverance slogans.

“We have to find our way back to an easy game.

And so for safety and stability,” said sporting director Simon Rolfes.

"We have to keep standing together, being self-critical and addressing things, but looking forward together," Seoane explained.

"We all have to take a good look at ourselves," said Tah. "Of course you get upset about others, but everyone can give more, everyone can do better and work more for others."

Defense chief Tah ruled out an approach.

"We can't always say we're young," he said.

Although his team is exactly that.

"We can't take that as an excuse," Tah said. "We have to be professional and we have to be adults.

We play in the first Bundesliga and have a lot of quality.”

Until September 1st there is still the possibility to add more on the transfer market.

And Rolfes at least didn't rule that out.

"Of course that's an impetus that's possible," he said. "If things are feasible, we'll try something." But there won't be any hasty shots, even though Bayer has just brought in a new player in Adam Hlozek.

"But we didn't give up much either.

The squad is more or less together," Rolfes pointed out: "This cannot only be solved with newcomers, but above all from within ourselves."

Meanwhile, the guests were very happy.

Not only about the clear victory, but also about the wonderful goals.

"Yes, together with a goal against Bremen, that was definitely the best thing of my career," said Christoph Baumgartner, who scored with a heel in the ninth minute.

And for his part, he was enthusiastic about Georginio Rutter's 3-0, who after Andrej Kramaric's first goal of the season (35') hit the corner with an oblique shot (78'): "A sensational goal."

Coach André Breitenreiter, who won an away game in the Bundesliga for the first time after 23 attempts and almost five years, saw it that way.

"People go to the stadium for moments like this," he said.

And added with a laugh: “I also take easy goals.

But today we shot special ones.” dpa