Bayer 04 Leverkusen is the most in-form team in Europe. Just over three years ago, the Bundesliga club lost at Rot-Weiss Essen. Do you still know?
Bayer 04 Leverkusen officially became German champions on April 14, 2024 for the first time in the club’s 120-year history. Xabi Alonso’s team is playing an outstanding season and could even break the Bundesliga points record (91 points set by Bayern in 2012/13).
Six players from Leverkusen’s championship-winning team were also on the pitch when Bayer 04 hosted the then fourth-division side Rot-Weiss Essen in the DFB Cup round of 16 at Hafenstrasse in Essen on February 2, 2021 and sensationally lost the match 2:1 after extra time.
Championship captain Lukas Hradecky was in goal, Edmond Tapsoba defended in the center, world champion Exequiel Palacios played in midfield and goalscorer Patrik Schick was up front. At the start of the second half, the then 17-year-old super talent Florian Wirtz was substituted and Jeremie Frimpong made his debut for Leverkusen just over ten minutes before the end of extra time. He moved from Celtic Glasgow to the Werkself in the winter.
In 2024, the sextet will be worth a total of €264.5 million (source: Transfermarkt.de). Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby also played for Bayer 04, who are currently on course for the Champions League with Aston Villa and are among the English first division club’s top scorers.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen were still beatable.
Marco Kehl-Goméz after the Leverkusen championship.
But none of them could prevent the cup exit at Hafenstrasse. That’s another reason why this RWE victory from over three years ago is still absolutely surreal. The then Essen captain Marco Kehl-Goméz posted a picture of the cup match after the Leverkusen championship with the words: “Bayer 04 Leverkusen was still beatable then.”
Of course, “KG” added a smiling smiley to this message. After all, Leverkusen had 27 shots on goal at the time and failed several times against the aluminum and the outstanding RWE goalkeeper Daniel Davari. The favourites then took the lead in extra time through Leon Bailey, but Oguzhan Kefkir and Simon Engelmann turned the game around and caused the biggest sensation of the 2020/21 cup season.