He was centimetres away from changing the outcome of the DFB Cup quarter-final. Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno twice dived the right way as his team lost 5-3 on penalties but Thomas Müller and Mario Götze’s strikes were perfectly placed right in the corner, leaving the Germany U21 international no chance.
The 23-year-old kept a clean sheet for 120 minutes with saves from Thomas Müller, Robert Lewandowski and Juan Bernat taking the tie to penalties. However, Manuel Neuer was the penalty shootout hero, saving Josip Drmic’s effort and securing Bayern’s place in the semi-finals. Despite their exit, Bernd Leno is proud of his team’s performance. DFB.de got his reaction after the match.
DFB.de: Bernd Leno, is it especially bitter to go out to Bayern in this way?
Bernd Leno: It’s extremely bitter because we were on a par with Bayern for the entire game. We deserved a lot more for our performance so it’s very disappointing. We had good chances both at the end of normal time and the end of extra time to win the game but the ball wouldn’t go in. The match was decided by the lottery of penalties.
DFB.de: You’ve saved many penalties in the past. Why didn’t it happen on this occasion?
Leno: I’ve always said that there’s a bit of luck involved in a penalty shootout. Apart from that, Bayern have a bit more experience. I was close to Thomas Müller and Mario Götze’s penalties but Manuel Neuer ultimately saved one.
DFB.de: Why was that last small spark that could have made the difference missing against Bayern?
Leno: There were plenty of chances. We should have won the game in the 120 minutes. I believe that everyone in the stadium noticed that we took Bayern to the edge of defeat. In the end, we were missing a bit of power and focus so it came down to penalties. You can’t deny that Bayern also had chances before it reached that stage.
DFB.de: However, you didn’t have a great deal to do in the first half. Was that boring for you?
Leno: (laughs) No, it’s never really boring against Bayern. They threatened towards the end of the first half so as a goalkeeper, you have to always be alert. Bayern have some very skilled and prolific players who are always capable of creating opportunities out of nothing. They showed that during the course of the match. Nevertheless, we did very well to hold them to 0-0 for 120 minutes. We can be proud of the way we played and build on it for our remaining Bundesliga games.
DFB.de: Thiago could have been sent off for his foul on Stefan Kießling. Is it frustrating that he scored the winning penalty?
Leno: I was a long way away from the situation. He had already raised his foot and leg high to kick the ball and I don’t know if he saw Kießling coming in. It seemed dangerous though and perhaps warranted a red card. There’s no point complaining because we didn’t lose the tie as a result of that decision.
DFB.de: Following the Champions League last 16, it was the second time you’ve been knocked out of a competition on penalties this season. Does that make it doubly disappointing?
Leno: I have the same bitter feeling today as I did after the Atletico game. The team simply has to come together and learn from these experiences.
DFB.de: How do you put these cup exits to one side so quickly?
Leno: It’s not easy. We can’t just return home and say "Okay, we lost” and move on. You always need a bit of luck in football and luck was on Bayern’s side tonight.
DFB.de: Are you going to get revenge when the two teams meet in the Bundesliga at the start of May?
Leno: In the league, we have the chance to take all three points. We’re aiming to finish in a Champions League qualifying spot. Anything else would be disappointing.
DFB.de: Despite the defeat, what are you going to take into Saturday’s game aginst Mainz 05?
Leno: We’ll definitely take the fact that we put in an outstanding performance against one of the best teams, even if they were slightly weakened through injuries. The blame doesn’t lie with any one individual; we win and lose as a team.
DFB.de: You put in another top-drawer performance. Are you in the best form of your career?
Leno: I wouldn’t say so. When the team plays better, defends better and don’t allow the opposition to have any real chances, it’s a lot easier for me. Everybody benefits from that, even the goalkeeper. Everyone played brilliantly today.
DFB.de: Irrespective of the penalty shootout, it was the ninth clean sheet the team has kept in 2015. Surely this shows that a lot has changed?
Leno: Yes, absolutely. That’s not just clear to see from the number of goals we’ve conceded but also how we’re defending as a team. We’re a look more secure at the back. We’re coming away with the ball much more often from 50-50 challenges and are better at launching counterattacks. It’s an essential learning process for the team because we’ve completely changed and developed our style of play from last year.
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He was centimetres away from changing the outcome of the DFB Cup quarter-final. Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno twice dived the right way as his team lost 5-3 on penalties but Thomas Müller and Mario Götze’s strikes were perfectly placed right in the corner, leaving the Germany U21 international no chance.
The 23-year-old kept a clean sheet for 120 minutes with saves from Thomas Müller, Robert Lewandowski and Juan Bernat taking the tie to penalties. However, Manuel Neuer was the penalty shootout hero, saving Josip Drmic’s effort and securing Bayern’s place in the semi-finals. Despite their exit, Bernd Leno is proud of his team’s performance. DFB.de got his reaction after the match.
DFB.de: Bernd Leno, is it especially bitter to go out to Bayern in this way?
Bernd Leno: It’s extremely bitter because we were on a par with Bayern for the entire game. We deserved a lot more for our performance so it’s very disappointing. We had good chances both at the end of normal time and the end of extra time to win the game but the ball wouldn’t go in. The match was decided by the lottery of penalties.
DFB.de: You’ve saved many penalties in the past. Why didn’t it happen on this occasion?
Leno: I’ve always said that there’s a bit of luck involved in a penalty shootout. Apart from that, Bayern have a bit more experience. I was close to Thomas Müller and Mario Götze’s penalties but Manuel Neuer ultimately saved one.
DFB.de: Why was that last small spark that could have made the difference missing against Bayern?
Leno: There were plenty of chances. We should have won the game in the 120 minutes. I believe that everyone in the stadium noticed that we took Bayern to the edge of defeat. In the end, we were missing a bit of power and focus so it came down to penalties. You can’t deny that Bayern also had chances before it reached that stage.
DFB.de: However, you didn’t have a great deal to do in the first half. Was that boring for you?
Leno: (laughs) No, it’s never really boring against Bayern. They threatened towards the end of the first half so as a goalkeeper, you have to always be alert. Bayern have some very skilled and prolific players who are always capable of creating opportunities out of nothing. They showed that during the course of the match. Nevertheless, we did very well to hold them to 0-0 for 120 minutes. We can be proud of the way we played and build on it for our remaining Bundesliga games.
DFB.de: Thiago could have been sent off for his foul on Stefan Kießling. Is it frustrating that he scored the winning penalty?
Leno: I was a long way away from the situation. He had already raised his foot and leg high to kick the ball and I don’t know if he saw Kießling coming in. It seemed dangerous though and perhaps warranted a red card. There’s no point complaining because we didn’t lose the tie as a result of that decision.
DFB.de: Following the Champions League last 16, it was the second time you’ve been knocked out of a competition on penalties this season. Does that make it doubly disappointing?
Leno: I have the same bitter feeling today as I did after the Atletico game. The team simply has to come together and learn from these experiences.
DFB.de: How do you put these cup exits to one side so quickly?
Leno: It’s not easy. We can’t just return home and say "Okay, we lost” and move on. You always need a bit of luck in football and luck was on Bayern’s side tonight.
DFB.de: Are you going to get revenge when the two teams meet in the Bundesliga at the start of May?
Leno: In the league, we have the chance to take all three points. We’re aiming to finish in a Champions League qualifying spot. Anything else would be disappointing.
DFB.de: Despite the defeat, what are you going to take into Saturday’s game aginst Mainz 05?
Leno: We’ll definitely take the fact that we put in an outstanding performance against one of the best teams, even if they were slightly weakened through injuries. The blame doesn’t lie with any one individual; we win and lose as a team.
DFB.de: You put in another top-drawer performance. Are you in the best form of your career?
Leno: I wouldn’t say so. When the team plays better, defends better and don’t allow the opposition to have any real chances, it’s a lot easier for me. Everybody benefits from that, even the goalkeeper. Everyone played brilliantly today.
DFB.de: Irrespective of the penalty shootout, it was the ninth clean sheet the team has kept in 2015. Surely this shows that a lot has changed?
Leno: Yes, absolutely. That’s not just clear to see from the number of goals we’ve conceded but also how we’re defending as a team. We’re a look more secure at the back. We’re coming away with the ball much more often from 50-50 challenges and are better at launching counterattacks. It’s an essential learning process for the team because we’ve completely changed and developed our style of play from last year.
