Bayer Leverkusen Eye Repeat After 'Magic' Title Triumph

Bayer Leverkusen are vowing to achieve great things again this season after an unprecedented unbeaten league and cup double last campaign. Leverkusen kick off the 2024-25 Bundesliga campaign at local rivals Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday. Xabi Alonso's side have been tipped by many to become the first side other than Bayern Munich to win back-to-back German top-flight titles since Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund in 2012. While Bayern have spent big and Dortmund and RB Leipzig have had impressive summers, Leverkusen forward Nathan Tella backed his side for another incredible season.

"There are no rules saying we can't do any of this. It's just down to us and how we apply ourselves in the season."

Speaking with AFP at Leverkusen's pre-season training camp in the Black Forest village of Donaueschingen, Tella said: "There's no reason why we can't defend the title".

"We've seen Bayern do it for so many years. Why can't we do something similar to that?

"There's no limit to what we can achieve. Last year, no-one believed in us and at the end of the season we were undefeated champions.

"Being a part of this team, anything is possible."

Tella's bullish statements are a far cry from even a season ago, when the club was still derided as 'Neverkusen' for failing to win a league title despite five second-place finishes.

'Our own magic'

Leverkusen's 2024-25 season started in now familiar fashion.

In Saturday's Super Cup against last year's runners-up Stuttgart, striker Patrik Schick scored an 88th-minute equaliser before Leverkusen won on penalties.

Much of Leverkusen's success last season, including their run to the Europa League final, was set up by late goals from a side who did not know they were beaten.

Leverkusen's