Nathan Tella has described Bayern Munich as “maybe the best team in the world” following Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-0 defeat in the German Cup semi-finals.
The Bundesliga champions controlled large spells of Wednesday’s tie, with Harry Kane opening the scoring midway through the first half after combining with Jamal Musiala.
Leverkusen improved after the break but were unable to find a breakthrough, before Luis Díaz added a late second to send Bayern into their first final since 2020.
Speaking after the match, Tella acknowledged the quality of the opposition while reflecting on his side’s missed opportunity.
“We know we played against maybe the best team in the world,” he said.
“As a team, we had the opportunity to get into the final… the first half we were a bit slow. But in the second half, we created more chances and it wasn’t enough.” he added.
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The Nigeria international, making his 20th appearance of an injury-affected campaign, grew into the contest after a quiet start and tested the Bayern defence before being substituted late on.
He also pointed to Bayern’s tactical strength, particularly their midfield movement and pressing.
“We knew they were going to have a lot of possession, their rotation in the middle and movement made it difficult,” he said.
“Even if we won the ball, their counter-press was really good.” Tella added.
The defeat marks a second consecutive semi-final exit in the competition for Leverkusen, ending their hopes of domestic silverware this season. Attention now turns to league form, with the club aiming to secure qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
Tella remains confident his side can finish strongly despite the setback.
“It is still our goal. We want to play in the best competition in the world now it is down to us,”
“We have to win these games, and we have the perfect opportunity.” he added.
Leverkusen currently sit just outside the qualification places with a handful of matches remaining and will look to close the gap starting with their next league fixture.
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Despite the disappointment, Tella insisted there were positives to take from the performance.
“As a team we can still be confident… we grew into the game and created more chances,” he said.
