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Bayer Leverkusen flier Leon Bailey (r.) was at his unplayable best against Borussia Mönchengladbach. - © © imago / DeFodi
Bayer Leverkusen flier Leon Bailey (r.) was at his unplayable best against Borussia Mönchengladbach. - © © imago / DeFodi

Bayer Leverkusen magician Leon Bailey: "We want to finish second behind Bayern Munich"

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Leon Bailey doesn't just want Bayer Leverkusen to qualify for the UEFA Champions League; he wants to help the Rhineland club finish as best of the rest behind runaway leaders Bayern Munich.

Leverkusen moved back into the top three courtesy of a 2-0 home win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday, with Bailey returning to the starting line-up and making a telling contribution to Lucas Alario's opening goal.

"Hopefully we can come second, because of course first place is gone - Bayern have that, but second place is possible," Bailey said after the game. "Our hope is to qualify for Europe; that's our aim and that's what we're gonna do."

Watch: Bailey targets second-placed finish

Schalke currently occupy second place, with Leverkusen two points further back in third ahead of Borussia Dortmund's meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt - fourth and fifth respectively - on Sunday.

Sixth-in-the-table RB Leipzig are also vying for one of three automatic places in next season's UEFA Champions League group stage - four if you include Bayern - and will move level on points with Leverkusen if they beat VfB Stuttgart on Matchday 26.

A mouth-watering run of fixtures at the start of April could go a long way to deciding matters, with Leverkusen travelling to Leipzig and Dortmund either side of a crucial home game against Frankfurt on Matchday 30.

A DFB Cup semi-final tie at home to Bayern sandwiches the aforementioned meetings with Frankfurt and Dortmund - but Bailey could be Die Werkself's proverbial trump card.

Watch: A tactical look at the brilliant Bailey

The Jamaican - who is yet to decide which country to pledge his allegiance to at international level - has been one of the stars of the season so far, registering nine goals and five assists in 22 Bundesliga outings, as well as two strikes in three outings in the domestic cup.

You can catch the wizard of Bayer in action against rock-bottom Cologne next weekend.

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