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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Andy Brassell

Leverkusen and Stuttgart cap Bundesliga’s year of the underdog

Bayer Leverkusen's goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky celebrates with the Bundesliga trophy among the fans.
Bayer Leverkusen's goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky celebrates with the Bundesliga trophy among the fans. Photograph: Ina Fassbender/AFP/Getty Images

From start to finish the afternoon that confirmed Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen as unbeaten Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen was what has come to be typical of them. The voracious feasting on opponents’ mistakes, as Amine Adli did to provide Victor Boniface with the opener.

The evidence that Xabi Alonso has drawn things from these players they never dared believe were there, as when midfield destroyer Robert Andrich tucked in an artful rabona. The false tension, when Augbsurg teenager Mert Kömür scored a goal worthy of the style of Alonso’s team to bring the deficit back to one, but we knew Leverkusen were never going to blow it.

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