Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah looks to finish historic season unbeaten and with more trophies

LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) — Jonathan Tah is already a German champion with Bayer Leverkusen. He’s hungry for more titles.

Tah could yet complete a treble this season in the Europa League — where Leverkusen plays Roma in the semifinals next week — and in the German Cup. Then there’s the European Championship with Germany, for which Tah has become a regular starter in central defense alongside Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger.

Leverkusen’s players and coach Xabi Alonso — who Tah showered with beer during their title celebrations — aren’t satisfied just with bringing the long-awaited first league title to a club once derided as “Neverkusen” for its near misses.

“This trophy gave us so much positive energy. To have that feeling to win a trophy, the hunger gets even bigger and that’s why we keep our level high,” Tah tells The Associated Press. “One trophy is nice but there’s still more to achieve, so that’s why we keep pushing ourselves.”

Including the home game with Stuttgart on Saturday, Leverkusen is four games away from being the first German team to go unbeaten all season in the Bundesliga.
Tah and the rest of the defense have conceded in 30 league games just 20 goals — 17 fewer than Bayern Munich — and going unbeaten would be their crowning achievement.