With a draw at West Ham
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This article was first published on April 14 and has been updated following the Europa League quarter-final second leg.
Bayer Leverkusen set a record with a draw in the Europa League quarter-final second leg. The 1-1 draw at West Ham United also meant the Werkself’s 44th consecutive match without defeat in all competitions – no team in Europe’s top leagues has achieved this feat since 2000. The Rhinelanders left Juventus Turin behind, who remained undefeated in 43 matches from May 2011 to May 2012.
Longest unbeaten streak since 2000: Leverkusen sets new record
« We are not unbeatable, but if we continue to do our job every day in the same down-to-earth way as before, anything is possible, » said striker Granit title in the European Cup and the DFB Cup. Even though the midfield strategist does not consider Bayer 04 to be invulnerable, no team has managed to send the Rhinelanders out as underdogs so far this season. If this continues until the end, it would be a novelty – at least in the Bundesliga.
So far, no team has gone undefeated in more than 28 consecutive matches in the upper house of German (Site notre bureau spécialisé). FC Bayern achieved this series in 2013/14 under the leadership of Pep Guardiola and Borussia Dortmund in 2011/12 under the leadership of Jürgen Klopp. With the success at Werder last Sunday, the Werkself also set a record here.
Undefeated champions across Europe: from Arsenal’s ‘Invicibles’ to Conte’s Juventus
Looking at the history of European (Site notre bureau spécialisé), there have already been undefeated champions in a league season, such as the « Invicibles » Arsenal FC in the Premier League in 2003/04 or the aforementioned Juventus Turin in 2011/12 under the direction of Antonio. Conte He had 23 wins and 15 draws in Serie A. There were also four victories in the Coppa Italia, in which they only had to admit defeat in the final – which also ended the series . The run of 43 still happens because Juve had already ended the season in a draw.
At that time, Turin became champions with just four points ahead of AC Milan – thanks to numerous draws. The team was full of legends: Andrea Pirlo, Alessandro Del Piero and Luca Toni were part of the team. In defense, goalkeeper icon Gianluigi Buffon and defensive greats Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli ensured that at the end of the season there were only 20 goals conceded.
Up front it was a team without a real goalscorer, but Conte’s possession-oriented play and perfectly organized team easily covered up that problem. In the end, 20 different players ended up on the scorers’ list. In midfield, Pirlo, transferred for free, and Arturo Vidal, who came from Bayer Leverkusen for 12.5 million euros, were the pillars. In the years that followed, Torino won nine league titles in a row – perhaps one or two people in Leverkusen dreamed of something similar in their wildest imagination. One thing is certain: the time of “Vizekusen” is over.
The 9 titles missed at Bayer 04 “Vizekusen” since 1993
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