Bayer Leverkusen eye ‘immortality’ on final day

Champions Bayer Leverkusen chase “immortality” in the shape of an undefeated Bundesliga season on Saturday as relegation-threatened Union Berlin face a last-day battle for survival. Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen can become the first team in Bundesliga history to go through a campaign unbeaten by avoiding defeat against Augsburg. Not even the greatest Bayern Munich sides have […]

Champions Bayer Leverkusen chase “immortality” in the shape of an undefeated Bundesliga season on Saturday as relegation-threatened Union Berlin face a last-day battle for survival.

Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen can become the first team in Bundesliga history to go through a campaign unbeaten by avoiding defeat against Augsburg.

Not even the greatest Bayern Munich sides have managed an invincible season.

That Alonso’s men have done it without losing in any competition – a European record 50-game streak which includes runs to next week’s German Cup and Europa League finals – shows how incredible they have been.

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A win against Augsburg would net Leverkusen 90 points from 34 games – the equal second-highest tally in German football history.

Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick said the match was “like a final”, while captain Lukas Hradecky said his team had “immortality” in sight.

Regardless of the result, Leverkusen will hoist the Bundesliga shield on Saturday and Hradecky said he would “be careful” not to hold it upside down, like Stuttgart captain Fernando Meira did in 2007.

In the German capital, Union – who faced Real Madrid in the Champions League in December – need to beat Freiburg and hope for other results to go their way in order to avoid relegation.

Union won at home on the final day last season to finish fourth and qualify for Champions League football, continuing the team’s rise after their debut promotion in 2019.

Remarkably, Union sat atop the Bundesliga standings after two games this season, but then fell to rock bottom after a run of nine straight losses.

In 16th spot, Union need a point to avoid falling through the trap door.

Even then, staying in 16th will still mean a two-legged playoff against Fortuna Duesseldorf, who finished third in the second division.

Freiburg coach Christian Streich, who signs off from a 14-year tenure at the club against Union on Saturday, said his side were “going to play to win”.