The Daily Bee (February 26th, 2021): Bundesliga Clubs Disappoint in the Europa League

Good morning, everyone! Happy Friday.

I’m a Borussia Dortmund fan, but I’m also a Bundesliga fan. There are few teams in the Bundesliga that I actively dislike, even those that BVB competes with for Champions League spots on a routine basis. I genuinely like Bayer Leverkusen, and I root for them very often when they’re in the cup or in European Competitions. I’m less enthusiastic about Hoffenheim, but if they were to win in Europe, I wouldn’t complain. I believe that when other German clubs do well internationally, it lifts the status of the entire league.

Which is why yesterday’s results in the Europa League were so frustrating. Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen faced two teams that they really should have beaten: Molde FK of the Norwegian Eliteserien, and BSC Young Boys of the Swiss Super League respectively. Instead of advancing to the next round, though, both sides were defeated, and the Europa League is now officially out of Bundesliga representatives.

Bayer Leverkusen came into yesterday’s performance at a disadvantage, having lost the first leg 4-3 in Bern. Despite being behind on aggregate, Leverkusen still should have been able to win by at least a goal. Instead, not only did Young Boys maintain their aggregate lead, but they expanded it by scoring two goals while shutting out Die Werkself.

The result in Hoffenheim was almost identical. Unlike Leverkusen, Hoffenheim came into the match level with Molde FK even on aggregate, with both clubs having score a goal apiece in the first leg. However, like Leverkusen, Hoffenheim conceded two unanswered goals en route to a 3-5 aggregate defeat.

This leaves four German teams remaining in European Competitions. Borussia Mönchengladbach, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and RB Leipzig remain in the Champions League, even though Leipzig and Gladbach have an uphill battle to make it into the next round.

The Daily Buzz

Who are you now rooting for in the Europa League?