Even a missed penalty didn’t upset Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the Bundesliga against SC Freiburg. In the end there was the eighth competitive win in a row. Man of the evening in Saturday’s 5:1 (1:0) win against Freiburg: Florian Wirtz – even if Patrik Schick had the larger share with four goals on the scoreboard.
Has he already extended his contract? How long will he stay in Leverkusen? These questions revolved around Florian Wirtz during the week. And it didn’t really matter to him. In the home win at the end of the year against Freiburg, the 21-year-old was involved in almost all of Leverkusen’s important scenes. Wirtz took a penalty – and missed it. Wirtz made it 1-0 through Patrick Schick (45th + 1). Wirtz (51st) scored the 2-0 beautifully and elegantly himself.
Wirtz crossed precisely for Schick (67th) to make it 3-1 and with a fine touch also set up the Czech’s third goal (74th) to make it 4-1. Only when it was 5-1 with another Schick header following a corner did Wirtz not have his feet in the game. In between, Vincenzo Grifo (55th) only briefly gave Freiburg hope with the 1:2.
Leverkusen is holding on to Bayern
Thanks to his star, the double winner has been back on track for weeks. Eight wins in a row, four points behind FC Bayern in the Bundesliga, on course for the round of 16 in the Champions League and in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup – the balance sheet reads well. But the last game of the year was once again a real piece of work.
SC Freiburg had cleverly adjusted to Leverkusen, defensively overlapping the flanks and initially mostly keeping an eye on Wirtz. In addition, the first dangerous goal chance went to Breisgauer. Philipp Lienhart (11th) hit the crossbar from almost 20 meters. But from the 15th minute onwards the game shifted more and more into the guests’ half.
Florian Wirtz too quick for Freiburg’s defense
Coach Xabi Alonso’s team dominated ball possession (70 percent of the game in the first half) and ultimately a few really good scenes were enough for the hosts to go into the break with a lead. The first was a wonderful flying ball from Jonathan Tah from his own half to Wirtz on the left, who took it with him with a light-footed jump and then overwhelmed Ritsu Doan with a quick hook in the penalty area.
All that was left to referee Tobias Stieler was the penalty whistle. Wirtz took the ball, ran – and failed. SC goalkeeper Noah Atubolu (31st) had sensed the right corner and saved the third Bundesliga penalty in a row. The second scene brought the well-deserved lead. A seemingly calm build-up resulted in a lightning move because Wirtz dropped to the right in midfield.
There he received the ball from defense by Edmond Tapsoba. The pass into Schick’s path was so precise that the Czech still had time to look towards the goal and make it 1-0 with a fine lob. And after the break it continued like this. Exequiel Palacios found Wirtz free-standing on the left of the six-yard box and with a fluid movement he first let an opponent get out and then chased the ball into the near corner to make it 2-0.
Leverkusen’s Patrick Schick celebrates
Florian Wirtz with one goal and three assists
Shortly afterwards, Freiburg also scored a nice goal through Grifo. But where that would have meant trembling two months ago, Leverkusen now simply carried on. Cross Wirtz. Header Send. 3:1. At 4:1, Wirtz naturally placed a long ball at the feet of Schick, who then headed in a Grimaldo corner from the right to make the final score 5:1.
Towards the end of the year, Leverkusen regained the sovereignty of the championship season. There were three defeats in the 2024 calendar year, only one of which was in the Bundesliga. All that’s missing for a really happy Leverkusen Christmas is Wirtz’s signature on a new contract.
Bundesliga start with a cracker Dortmund against Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen opens the 16th matchday in the new year with the Friday evening game at Borussia Dortmund (January 10, 2025, 8:30 p.m.). SC Freiburg, who spent the holidays in the top half of the table with 24 points and contact with the European Cup places, will host newly promoted Holstein Kiel the next day (3:30 p.m.).