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If in a season you were to lose just one game while winning all the others, the last game you'd want to lose would definitely be in the final. But reality is often cruel. After maintaining an undefeated status throughout the season, the newly crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen suffered a crushing defeat against Atalanta in the Europa League final, missing out on the treble. Players from the team expressed the agony of the loss.
This season, Leverkusen rose unexpectedly, maintaining an unbeaten streak across all competitions. Facing 27 different teams, Leverkusen eventually secured their first Bundesliga title in their 120-year history with a record of 28 wins and 6 draws. This season was phenomenal for Leverkusen. Their goal was to also clinch the Europa League and the German Cup, becoming the undisputed treble winners.
However, reality seemed to play a cruel joke on Leverkusen. Despite their unbeaten streak throughout the season, they unexpectedly lost in the Europa League final. The players seemed to be sleepwalking through the game as Leverkusen was defeated by three goals against Atalanta, the fifth-placed team in Serie A. Their expected goals for the game were only 0.77, marking the first time this season that Leverkusen's expected goals did not exceed one, showing their complete defeat.
After the match, Leverkusen player Hofmann expressed disappointment with their performance and, when referring to the 51-game unbeaten streak, stated that he would rather trade a league defeat for a victory today. Losing in the final was truly painful. As for Leverkusen coach Alonso, he acknowledged that defeat was inevitable and stated that he would calmly accept it. However, undoubtedly, losing in the final brings a sense of frustration. Nonetheless, Alonso firmly believes that the team will return stronger, and next season's Leverkusen will be even more formidable. |
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