Bayer Leverkusen are two games from European soccer immortality. The new champions of Germany have two cup finals in four days -- starting Wednesday in the Europa League against Atalanta -- to complete a previously unthinkable unbeaten season in domestic and continental competition.
On Saturday, Leverkusen will be heavily favored to win the DFB Pokal final against a Kaiserslautern team that finished 13th in the second division, not so far from falling into relegation playoffs. And so the biggest remaining challenge for coach Xabi Alonso's team is game No. Three times in six games in the knockout rounds the team was down deep into the second half and still behind entering stoppage time: In both round of 16 games against Qarabag and in the semifinals return leg against Roma.
In another streak-saving Europa game, at West Ham in the quarterfinals, Leverkusen were set to advance on aggregate score yet needed an 89th-minute goal by wing-back Jeremie Frimpong to draw and stay unbeaten. Atalanta defender Berat Djimsiti acknowledged Tuesday it was "certainly added motivation" trying to be the team to beat Leverkusen. There have been other stellar teams in European soccer who added the elite Champions League to their domestic league title, unlike Leverkusen playing in the second-tier Europa League.
Still, Manchester United in , Inter Milan in , Barcelona in and Manchester City last year also lost some games and were wealthy clubs whose success could have been expected.
Each started their season with established, star-packed teams led by coaches -- Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola -- who'd already won multiple domestic and European trophies. This is Alonso's first full season coaching at the top level. His team was in relegation trouble last season. There was no superstar transfer signing in the offseason. Alonso twice won the Champions League as an elegant midfielder, with Liverpool and then Real Madrid , who will play Borussia Dortmund for this season's Champions League title.
