Leon Bailey is expecting big things to come from Bayer Leverkusen in the 2018/19 season. - © © imago
Leon Bailey is expecting big things to come from Bayer Leverkusen in the 2018/19 season. - © © imago

Bayer Leverkusen's Leon Bailey: "We want to play for the title"

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Bayer Leverkusen wing wonder Leon Bailey believes his side have a chance of dethroning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

The 20-year-old Jamaican was central to Die Werkself's fifth-place finish last season – scoring nine goals and making seven more in the Bundesliga alone – and he feels that they now have a squad capable of mounting a title challenge.

“We want to play for the title,” he told German sport magazine kicker. “Bayern Munich are for me one of the three strongest teams in the world, but in football you never know.

“We have to be focused and then, with our qualities, we can achieve a lot.”

Watch: See how Bailey got on when the Bundesliga paid Leverkusen a visit!

Leverkusen have bolstered their squad considerably ahead of the new season, adding some serious talent to their ranks in the shape of Brazilian teen sensation Paulinho, Finnish goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky and European under-21 Championship winner Mitchell Weiser.

They had been desperately unlucky to miss out on a top-four finish in 2017/18, with both Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund ending above them in the standings only on goal difference.

It represented a promising first campaign under Heiko Herrlich. The club also reached the DFB Cup semi-finals and have given a strong signal of their future potential by romping to 4-1 league wins over RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim and cup holders Eintracht Frankfurt since the turn of the year.

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