Brandt: Leverkusen are craving a title

Bayer 04 Leverkusen midfielder Julian Brandt is delighted the club has secured third place in the Bundesliga standings and is hoping for even bigger things next season.

The modest 20-year-old has enjoyed a successful season, contributing 10 goals and five assists in all competitions, but remains adamant his contribution only matters in the context of the team’s performance.

“The team comes before any personal satisfaction and the position we are in with two weeks of the season to go is far more important to me than my goals. It’s great when things are going so well and I’m able to help the team. I’m delighted, as is everybody here,” he told the Bundesliga website.

“[Securing third place is] great for our minds to know already that we’ve qualified for the Champions League next season. Nobody can take that off us now.

“If somebody had told us four or five months ago that we would be certain of third place with two games of the season to go, we would all have signed for that.”

With no chance of catching Borussia Dortmund above them, their thoughts are naturally already shifting towards next season, and Brandt reveals they are targeting a trophy.

“The people in Leverkusen are craving a title. The Bundesliga’s always hard to win, but why shouldn’t we win the DFB Cup? We’ve got a good team and we’ve always made it into the top four in recent years,” he added.

“We’re the third force of German football this year, and by quite a way as things stand. That speaks for itself.”