Granit Xhaka: "I'm convinced we'll beat Bayern" | OneFootball

Bayer Leverkusen's Granit Xhaka: "I'm convinced we'll beat Bayern Munich"

Granit Xhaka says defending champions Bayer Leverkusen are ready to rise to the occasion when they face Bayern Munich on Matchday 22, arguably needing a win to have any chance of reeling in the Bundesliga leaders.

bundesliga.com caught up with the Leverkusen midfield general ahead of potentially defining game in the 2024/25 title race...

bundesliga.com: The game against Bayern is an absolute must-win, do you believe you can still catch Bayern?

Granit Xhaka: "What do you mean by 'must win'? We know where we are, we know the position we are in. We are looking forward to this game, not just for us, but I think all of Germany is very excited about watching the game. We need to do our job though, and let's see what happens after 90 minutes, but we are looking forward to it."

Watch: Leverkusen vs. Bayern - a clash of the best

bundesliga.com: How deflated was the team after the draw in Wolfsburg?

Xhaka: "If I’m honest, nothing really changed after the game. We knew the position we were in before the game, and after the game we knew we needed to beat Bayern to be closer to them. Everything else is still in our hands, we’ll keep going, keep believing, and try and win the next games."

bundesliga.com: You’re now eight points behind Bayern - how is the mood in the team? Is this your last chance to stay in the title race on Saturday?

Xhaka: "Our strength last year was that we didn't look at the table too much. It's exactly the same this year, whether we are second this year, we were in front last year. For us, it's important to do our job, take each game at a time, and after 34 games we'll see where we are."

bundesliga.com: A draw will probably not be enough, does your position in the league change the way you’ll approach the game, and what do you need to do to beat Bayern?

Xhaka: "We won't go into the game with the plan to play for a draw, we want to win every game, whether that's against Bayern on Saturday, or against any other team. We have this mentality in the team, and we have earned it with good performances in the last few years, so we will go into the game with this mentality and try and take all three points here at home."

bundesliga.com: Leverkusen have won three and drawn two against Bayern since Xabi Alonso has been in charge, do Leverkusen therefore go into the game with a self confidence that you didn’t have previously?

Xhaka: "It's always a special game against Bayern Munich, you know the players, you know what kind of a club they are, but they also know where we are strong. At home, in particular, we have shown in the last five games that we can make it difficult for anyone, including Bayern Munich, and we will do the same on Saturday to make sure we can take all three points. We need to have a great day, we need a perfect day to beat this team, but I am convinced that we will be able to do this."

Watch: Leverkusen outwitted Bayern at the BayArena last season

bundesliga.com: Did the game in Wolfsburg show that you’re maybe too reliant on Florian Wirtz sometimes?

Xhaka: "We all know about Flo’s quality. He's a very creative player, can beat a man one v one, he can play a great pass, but we cant be reliant on one player. We all have our qualities and we have to show them, which we have done well over the last few years. Flo is definitely an important player for us. It was a decision from the coach, and we still feel we can be satisfied with the performance in Wolfsburg, not with the point, but with the performance."

bundesliga.com: You currently have nine fewer points than last year, what is missing for Leverkusen this year, compared to the perfection of last year?

Xhaka: "You can’t always have a season like we did last year, you have that once! We have to face the reality and be honest with ourselves. You said yourself that we had nine points more, we’d have one more point than Bayern then. We have had games, like Kiel at home, when we have led but only taken a point; Bochum, we conceded at the end of the game. These things didn't happen to us last season, but we will learn from it. Eight points sounds like a lot, but it's only three games. The first game will be on Saturday, against a direct opponent, we have to win and then we’ll see."

bundesliga.com: Does Alonso instill the belief in the team that you can still defend your title, despite the gap to Bayern?

Xhaka: "Definitely, anything is possible. We won't give up easily. There are still a lot of games left to play. We know where we are, we are honest with ourselves, it will take a lot, but it's definitely still possible."

bundesliga.com: Are you seeing a different side to the coach this year, now that not everything is going your way?

Xhaka: "Last year there were also games which were not good, but we still won. This year there have been some games which were maybe better, but we didnt take three points. I wouldn't compare the two seasons too much, the coach is still the same, whether with success or with less success. That makes him special, and our team too. We are still up there, and we will see what we can achieve this season."

bundesliga.com: Can you contribute to the team in the same way as in your title-winning season? Or are certain things more difficult for you?

Xhaka: "I'm not someone who talks about himself. I've never done it in my career and I won’t start now. The team know why they signed me. I try to give my maximum, make sure I perform. I am valued by the club, the coach, the other players, and my job is to use my experience to help the team on the pitch. Everything else is for others to judge."

bundesliga.com: You have done a few of your training badges in the last few years, which qualities would you hope to take from your current coach, Xabi Alonso? What will help you the most in your future work as a coach?

Xhaka: "The calmness he has. It doesn't matter whether we’re behind, winning, or level, he always has this calmness. He always has a solution. I really like that. If I look at myself, I think I'm so far from this job: I want to play for as long as possible, and then it will be a dream to be a coach at some point. I hope I can realise it, we’ll see."

bundesliga.com: You wouldn’t have come to Leverkusen in 2022 if you didn’t believe in the project here. Did you think, when you first started, that the team would make such progress, and that the whole world would be talking about Leverkusen?

Xhaka: "Definitely! The first conversations with Simon Rolfes and with the coach were around exactly these topics, which are the most important for me. I knew the team was very young and very hungry. Xabi Alonso can develop young players, he has developed young players. Bayer Leverkusen have become a lot more well known over the last two years, but we can't stop there. We have to keep pushing, keep developing. That's a job for us players but also for the club."

bundesliga.com: When you ask the fans who made the difference last season, you hear three names, one of them is Granit Xhaka. Can you think why? And who do you think the other names are? (Alonso and Wirtz)

Xhaka: "For me, it was the perfect time to come here, I arrived, we won the title straight away, won the cup, got into the Europa League final. Something like that only really happens once in your life. I came here, not only for one season though, but for other seasons, and to win other titles. We are a good team, we are doing well in the Champions League, we are in the semi final of the cup, which is the closest we currently are to a trophy, because it's the quickest one. It's important that we don't forget all that, every player, every member of staff deserves that, and deserves to be remembered, and we’ll keep giving our all."

bundesliga.com: The euphoria associated with the title win is limitless. The stadium is always full, fans don’t only come from the Leverkusen city limits, some have tattoos of Bayer 04, or even of Xabi Alonso! How proud does it make you to be a part of this story?

Xhaka: "It's a great honour, for sure. There are some fans who have been here for 50, 60 years and have hoped for a title. We are the only ones who have been able to deliver a title. The joy, not only in the fans, the people here, but also the club’s, ours, the players’ and our families’. You need a lot for that, a lot of work, a lot of discipline to play like that for 34 games, or even 50, 60 games a year to play at that level, to perform the way we have up to now. Everyone in the stadium, at the club, but also us players earned huge respect, but we are not done. We want more, the hunger is still there and we will keep working hard."

Watch: Leverkusen's road to the 2023/24 title

bundesliga.com: You have a few tattoos yourself, which of yours has the most interesting back story?

Xhaka: "All of my tattoos are linked to my family, kids, my best friend. I'm not someone who just gets a tattoo of anything, I give it some thought about what I want to have. It’s gone a bit quieter on that front at the moment."

bundesliga.com: How are Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala different? What makes them special?

Xhaka: "I know how they play together, I saw them in the Euros, Germany against Switzerland, they both have so much quality. I have huge respect for both of them, they have achieved so much at such a young age, but have stayed hungry. I can speak about Flo Wirtz, who I see every day, but Musiala at Bayern too, to stay at this level, with this pressure, to constantly perform. Flo Wirtz at Leverkusen works so hard every day. He plays as a number ten but has the mentality of a defensive midfielder, because he works so hard for the team. When you look at his statistics, it's ncredible how many intensive runs he makes, how many kilometres he covers. Germany have to be happy to have these players, we are happy to have Flo Wirtz, and I hope he stays fit and keeps going."

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