Soccer Football - Bundesliga - 1. FC Union Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen - Stadion An der Alten Forsterei, Berlin, Germany - April 6, 2024 Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz scores their first goal from the penalty spot REUTERS/Annegret Hilse
BERLIN (Reuters) -Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen battled past Union Berlin 1-0 on Saturday to equal a league record unbeaten run of 28 consecutive matches and all but secure their first league title with a 16-point advantage at the top and six matches remaining.
Xabi Alonso's team, who have not lost in 41 matches across all competitions this season, can clinch their maiden Bundesliga title and first trophy in 31 years with a victory at home against Werder Bremen next week.
They are also set to break an 11-season stranglehold on the league by Bayern Munich, who have won every Bundesliga title since 2013.
Leverkusen are now on 76 points with six games left and second-placed Bayern anchored on 60 following a shock 3-2 defeat at Heidenheim, their second league loss in a row.
"I am very proud of the team. We prepared well and had the right mentality. The situation now is very good for us and maybe we will have something to celebrate next week," Alonso told a press conference.
"But before next week there is the Europa League and that is where the focus is now."
Leverkusen, long derided as 'Neverkusen' due to their lack of trophies in the past decades, are through to the German Cup final. They also face West Ham United next week in their Europa League quarter-final first leg.
"I don't like to be compared. We have our own way of doing things and we have done it like that from the start and we have developed that way," Alonso said.
"We want to keep going in the same way no matter if it is the Europa League or the German Cup."
The visitors put Union on the back foot from the start but despite a string of chances, they had to wait until deep in first-half stoppage time for Florian Wirtz to convert a penalty.
Minutes earlier Union had Robin Gosens sent off following a second booking.
Union never really mounted any comeback with a player down in the second half and Leverkusen only needed to control the game, easily holding on to the three points to equal the league record for most consecutive unbeaten matches.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond and Hugh Lawson)
