The 2012-13 campaign delivered a triumphant return to the Champions League for Bayer Leverkusen, as Die Werkself secured a strong 3rd-place finish in the Bundesliga. Leading the charge was the clinical veteran striker Stefan Kießling, whose remarkable 25 goals earned him the Bundesliga's coveted Golden Boot. This personal triumph was clinched on the final day with a decisive winner against Hamburg that secured their automatic qualification spot. The team, featuring emerging talents like André Schürrle and Dani Carvajal, finished as the "best of the rest" behind the top two, marking a defining chapter of renewed European status for the club.