by Oliver Trust

BERLIN, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Robert Andrich is always good for a surprise. When it comes to his hairstyle, there seem to be no borders for the Germany international. The midfielder warrior appears to follow his mood in grey, black, white or pink.

Ahead of his 30th birthday next week, his unusual hairstyle pattern matches his unusual story of being a footballer. Over the past months, he went through a fairytale-like story and found himself in the middle of a dream.

"The Champions League is an overwhelmingly emotional issue for me. The anthem triggers special feelings. Only the national anthem can beat it," Bayer Leverkusen's holding midfielder said ahead of the 2024 German champions' 2024/25 campaign curtain-raiser against Feyenoord this Thursday evening in Rotterdam.

While dreams have come true for the late bloomer, having spent most of his career at second division clubs, further challenges lie in wait.

Winning the 2024 Bundesliga title catapulted him up to the top, coming along with him making his Germany debut in November 2023.

12 games in the Germany shirt followed, with him having turned into a regular force for coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Andrich's career seems a shining example of the pictorial metaphor from the ground floor to the top. Fighting his way has been a daily routine in his sporting life.

The midfielder seems the right man to help Leverkusen overcome its low after the club's biggest achievement last season.

Trying to deal with the 2024 title seemed a burden for the side when starting the new season. Two weeks ago, a 3-2 defeat against RB Leipzig stood for the team's first Bundesliga defeat in 463 days.

"It showed us we need to always go at full speed," Andrich said, calling the defeat a wake-up call, while the team's Switzerland national captain Granit Xhaka said they must find their flow again.

A 4-1 win against Hoffenheim took the side back to happiness. "But the story is: You get seven to eight chances in the league, but only two to three in the Champions League," Xhaka said.

Andrich, last season, had been a vital part of a robust defense line that only conceded 24 goals in 34 matches. "To keep a clean sheet means to go for it in every second," the defensive force said.

"We have been sloppy on that in the first weeks," he said, adding: "Everyone wants to beat the champions. It won't be different in the Champions League."

With coach Xabi Alonso demanding more effort, calling this season's challenge a mental issue, Leverkusen find themselves ahead of an important campaign on the national and international stage.

"Quality teams don't lose two to three times in a series. They come back right away after falling once," Xhaka said.

And Andrich? The midfielder might remember his goal in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League against Atletico Madrid and "the trance-like feeling" after the ball crossed the line. Enditem

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