Bayer Leverkusen climbed back to the top of the Bundesliga on Sunday with a 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen. Eren Derdiyok had given Bayer the lead before ex-Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro levelled the game. Toni Kroos put the away side back on top before in the last minute Per Mertesacker snatched a point. Bayer are now top of the league on goal difference and they have also equalled a Bundesliga record of 23 games unbeaten – ironically a record set by Leverkusen’s own Coach Jupp Heynckes when he managed the great Bayern Munich 21 years ago. The big question now is can he beat it?
Jupp Heynckes is the wily old fox of German football. His playing career started way back in 1963 with Borussia Monchengladbach. After a spell at Hannover 96 he also returned to his home town club to play a total of 308 games for Borussia. He also appeared for the national team 39 times and it was no surprise with this wealth of experience he was back managing Die Fohlen when his playing career ended. After eight years he was recruited by Germany’s biggest club Bayern Munich, where he had a successful reign picking up championships in 1989 and 1990. It was in the 1988/89 season that Heynckes set the record for 23 games unbeaten whilst on the road to the title. That year he created a Munich squad consisting of many great players such as Hans Pfl
