The 1998-99 campaign delivered a landmark season for Bayer Leverkusen as Die Werkself secured a brilliant 2nd-place finish in the Bundesliga, their highest league position at the time, which secured the club's first-ever qualification for the UEFA Champions League group stage. Leading the charge was the prolific striker Ulf Kirsten, whose 19 goals anchored a high-scoring attack and included a memorable hat-trick in a record 8-2 away demolition of Borussia Mönchengladbach. Although Bayern Munich dominated the top spot, this year cemented Leverkusen's place among the elite, marking the crucial transition to Fußball GmbH and the emotional final appearance of club goalkeeping legend Rüdiger Vollborn.