No ghosts of 2002: Leverkusen to go 'as far as possible' in 3 events

Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso is not dwelling on the ghosts of 2002 when they aim for victory over Qarabag on Thursday to reach the Europa League quarter-finals and continue their season-long unbeaten run in all competitions.

Alonso insisted on Werdnesday that he has no priorities as they chase a title treble from the Bundesliga, German Cup and Europe's second tier event.

"Our focus is on all of them. We want to go as far as possible in all three competitions," he said.

"We will give our all tomorrow. On Sunday in the league in Freiburg we will give our all. And then again in the [German] Cup."

The statements came amid comparisons to 2002 when Leverkusen wasted a five-point Bundesliga lead on the final three matchdays and then also lost finals in the German Cup and in the Champions League.

Then coach Klaus Toppmöller said that "we should have been eliminated earlier" in the cup competitions because then "we would have had more energy and won the [Bundesliga] title."

That earned the club the nickname Vizekusen (Vicekusen) and they have have not lifted silverware since the German Cup title in 1993.

They they could now finally shake off and even turn into Treblekusen in a season where their unbeaten run in all competitions stands at 36 and includes two group stage wins against Qarabag.

But it took an injury time goal from Patrik Schick last week to salvage a 2-2 draw in Azerbaijan to keep the streak alive.

Alonso says that despite a 5-1 win at home in the group the job still needs to be completed on Thursday, just as in the Bundesliga where they are 10 points clear at the top, and in the German Cup where they are the only remaining top flight team in the semi-finals.

"No one is invincible, we are fighting that we can compete in all games and competitions," he said.

"We have a good squad, the players are hungry to compete and win as many games as possible. We are not thinking about the final game, just the next one."

Sporting director Simon Rolfes said there was "a huge difference" between now and 2002: the depth of the squad.

"If I remember correctly they then always played with the same 11. That is not the case today. We have a deep squad and the quality to spread the workload," Rolfes said.

Twenty-two years ago 11 players played at least 50 games but only six can reach the figure this term, and only if Bayer really have a maximum 17 games left.

Star player Florian Wirtz wasn't even born in 2002 and midfielder Robert Andrich eight at the time, with no real memory of those events but also dismissing any comparisons.

"We have a very, very good team across the board that is clear-headed," Andrich said.

"We're not lulling ourselves into a false sense of security or celebrating anything. We are well prepared for all tasks. That's why we're confident that things won't go the way they did in 2002."

Asked whether the Europa League was perhaps the toughest title to win now, Alonso named all competitions "difficult" over the remaining weeks until late May, with the Bundesliga finale on May 18, the Europa League final on May 22 and the German Cup final on May 25.

"The Cup is perhaps the shortest path, we are in the semi-finals. There are still three stages in the Europa League, that's a long way. But May is not yet in our head," he said.

Alonso wants to go further in the Europa League with the team than last season's semi-final berth, and Rolfes also has high hopes.

"Europe is always special. That's why I like to win as much and as often as possible," he said.