Bayer Leverkusen are two games away from achieving a complete season without defeats.
Leverkusen completed a full Bundesliga season by losing on Saturday, extending their streak to 51 games, having clinched the title last month. Xabi Alonso's team now faces two cup finals in four days to achieve an undefeated season in national and continental competitions that was previously unthinkable.
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Leverkesen will play the Europa League final against Atalanta on Wednesday before facing second-division side Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final on Saturday, a match in which they are heavy favourites.
Alonso's side have produced a series of impressive comebacks this season, both domestically and in Europe, and the Europa League has been one of the biggest tests of their run.
Three times in six games in the knockout rounds, they were 2-0 down in the second half: in both round of 16 games against Qarabag and in the second leg of the semi-finals against Roma.
In another European game that saved the streak, against West Ham in the quarterfinals, Leverkusen were ready to advance on aggregate, but needed an 89th-minute goal from right back Jeremie Frimpong to tie 1-1 and stay undefeated.
“We don't want to wait until the last seconds of the game,” said Patrick Schick, whose three stoppage-time goals against Qarabag in March were key to advancing 5-4 on aggregate. “We would like to make it clear earlier.”
Winning their final two matches would complete a remarkable season for Leverkusen, being Alonso's first full season as head coach.
“For me it's very special,” Alonso said last week. “My first title as a coach was the Bundesliga. It was fantastic, very special. But a title in Europe would be wonderful and I hope we can say that.”
