Maybe, if in the group phase Bayer Leverkusen is not together with the top teams, then maybe Bayer Leverkusen will have a chance to become group winners or maybe just runners up. But the point is, I personally believe Bayer Leverkusen is capable of advancing to the knockout phase of the last 16, the quarter-finals or maybe even qualifying for the semifinals. Because I personally am still quite confident about the quality and abilities of Xabi Alonso, even though there may be several key players who might leave, but I still believe Xabi Alonso will be able to make the Bayer Leverkusen squad good next season. Therefore, failure to win the Europa League trophy and at the same time failing to win the treble winner last season will of course allow Bayer Leverkusen to improve better next season.
You have made some points here, and really agree with you that Bayern Leverkusen will be having a great performance in the next season Champions league competition because I believe he isn't happy with the fact that he lost that Europa final game to Atalanta which made it seem the whole effort last season doesn't worth it after they failed to lift that trophy which everyone expected of them, so I believe he will try to contact that impression that the team is still capabl and formidable regardless.