Bayer Leverkusen first team to win Bundesliga undefeated
Listen to the story (Irish accent)
The soccer team Bayer Leverkusen won the German Bundesliga. They played the whole season and didn’t lose any games.
They won their last game against Augsburg 2-1. It was their 28th win.
They finished the Bundesliga season with 90 points. This is just one point less than the record by Bayern Munich in 2012-13. Leverkusen also had six games that ended in a tie.
Leverkusen also didn’t lose any games in the German Cup or the Europa League tournaments this season. They will play in the finals this month.
At the beginning of May, Leverkusen tied 2-2 with Roma in the Europa League semi-finals. That was their 49th game without losing. Benfica set a record of 48 games without losing from December 1963 to February 1965.
Leverkusen started their unbeaten streak with an 8-0 win against FC Teutonia Ottensen in the German Cup on August 12.
Leverkusen didn’t lose in 34 Bundesliga games, five German Cup matches, and 12 Europa League games. They won 42 of these games.
Leverkusen will play against Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final on May 25 and Atalanta in the Europa League final on May 22.
Vocabulary12 words
- Whole
- Everything, with nothing missing; all
- Season
- a time period or time of year when a sport is played; a fixed/set number of games for one year of a sport
- Lose
- opposite of ‘win’; When you do not win in a game or contest
- Tournament
- a contest or competition with only one winner after many games/rounds
- Final
- The last round/game of a competition
- Tie
- To have the same score or result as someone else; when two teams in a game have the same score
- Semi-final
- The game that comes before the final game in a tournament; the winners of semi-final games go the final game
- Set a record
- to achieve/do something better or more significant than anyone has done before; the most or least ever measured
- Record
- the most or least ever; the highest level ever; achieved/done for the first time.
- Unbeaten
- Not defeated; not having lost any games
- Streak
- A series of successes or achievements; A series of events that happen one after another
- Match
- game; a game or contest between two teams or people where they try to win by playing a sport
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The _____ team Bayer Leverkusen won the German Bundesliga. They _____ the whole season and didn’t lose any games.
They _____ their last game against Augsburg 2-1. It was their _____th win.
They finished the Bundesliga _____ with 90 points. This is just one point less than the record by Bayern Munich in 2012-13. Leverkusen _____ had six games that ended in a tie.
Leverkusen also didn’t _____ any games in the German Cup or the Europa League tournaments _____ season. They will play in the finals this month.
_____ the beginning of May, Leverkusen tied 2-2 _____ Roma in the Europa League semi-finals. That was their _____th game without losing. Benfica set a record of 48 games without losing from _____ 1963 to February 1965.
Leverkusen _____ their unbeaten streak with an 8-0 win against FC Teutonia Ottensen in the _____ Cup on August 12.
Leverkusen didn’t lose _____ 34 Bundesliga games, five German Cup matches, and _____ Europa League games. They won 42 of these _____.
Leverkusen will play _____ Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final on May 25 and Atalanta in the Europa League _____ on May 22.
Discussion questions
- How important do you think the coach is to a team’s success?
- What qualities do you think helped Bayer Leverkusen achieve such a long unbeaten streak?
- How do you think Leverkusen can continue their success into the next season?
- Can you think of any other sports teams that have similar unbeaten runs?
More Sports stories
Next story · Easy
Remote workers and digital nomads are bad for cafes