Change in the goalkeeper for the final match. - Alonso discloses: "Hradecky will take the field"
In the upcoming match against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Saturday, Leverkusen captain Lukas Hradecky (34) will be playing. Coach Xabi Alonso (42) announced this before the final training session on Friday evening in Berlin. Up until now, it had been Matej Kovar (24) who had been preferred due to the Europa League final against Atalanta Bergamo.
Alonso stated, "Lukas is playing. We talked it over with the goalkeeping team. We had two finals, and we wanted to give both a chance. They were prepared. Both had performed exceptionally well this season."
With this final match, Hradecky will be participating in his fourth cup final since he started his career in Germany and has been a champion goalkeeper for the last nine years. "I feel privileged to be in this position," the Finn said. Hradecky expressed that he was pleasantly surprised by the decision as he was informed only a few days prior. "I'm really pleased. My family and friends from Finland will be attending the game. Still, I can't help but mention how well Matej has played."
The captain is hoping to avenge the 4-2 loss in the final against Bayern Munich in 2020 which took place without any fans in attendance due to the pandemic. "It wasn't my best performance in that game," Hradecky noted. "I'm aiming to equalize my record."
Hradecky also vocalized his thoughts on the Dublin defeat and its implications, "That performance wasn't the typical Leverkusen. As for Lautern, they have an array of lively players, so we must avoid falling into a similar trap as we did against Atalanta."
Alonso is certain that Leverkusen has moved on from their first loss of the season, "Dublin is in the past. All we're focusing on is Berlin." He added, "The pain is still recent, but this might have fueled our hunger and determination even more." Moreover, Alonso stated that the fact they're the favorites holds no significance, "We still need to earn the trophy." The trophy that Hradecky will likely receive - one week after contending for the championship trophy.
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Source: symclub.org
