Can a veteran still dominate a squad in flux? Amid Bayer Leverkusen’s revolving door, Patrik Schick stands as one of the few unchanged faces. Even as teammates arrive and depart, his knack for scoring stays razor‑sharp, and 2026/27 may become his finest season yet.
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Leverkusen’s apogee was undoubtedly their 2023/24 unbeaten title-winning season, but Schick was not at his personal best. A serious injury in 2022/23 kept him out until October and left him without a goal in any competition for 284 days. While he still ended the season on 16 goals in all competitions, he had to play second fiddle to Victor Boniface up top.
The following term, Leverkusen were unable to defend their Meisterschale as they finished second to a vengeful Bayern Munich outfit, but Schick was back leading the line with 27 goals in all competitions. The summer of 2025, though, saw the break-up of the Bundesliga champions from the previous season, as Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Jeremie Frimpong, Lukáš Hrádecký, Jonathan Tah, Piero Hincapié, Boniface, and head coach Xabi Alonso all moved on to pastures new.
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Schick scored seven Bundesliga goals the season Leverkusen won the title. – IMAGO/Laci Perenyi –>
To inject fresh blood, the Werkself promoted a wave of youngsters, leaving Schick as one of the senior pillars. After Erik Ten Hag was dismissed after just two league matches and the club slipped to sixth, Schick’s 22 strikes in 42 games provided a bright beacon.
Key exits this summer, like Alejandro Grimaldo, paved the way for Carles Martínez’s arrival as head coach. Yet Schick has barely missed a beat, delivering the clinical edge fans expect. In my view, he remains the team’s quiet engine as a new style takes shape.
His opener against Elversberg fizzled, costing Leverkusen a 3‑2 upset, but he rebounded on Matchday 2, finding the net as his side dismantled Union Berlin.
Watch: Leverkusen 4‑0 Union Berlin – highlights