Lukas Hradecky was back between the posts for Bayer Leverkusen again.
Lukas Hradecky kept a clean sheet in the Rhine derby. PDO
Bayer Leverkusen’s second striker Matěj Kovář unexpectedly received an invitation to real action when the pharmaceutical factory’s team faced Mainz in their weekly match.
Huuhkajat fans in Finland might have been a bit startled, because usually Kovář had only appeared in Cup matches or on Euro courts.
On Saturday, the Basque team of Leverkusen Xabi Alonso returned his team to the normal schedule: Lukas Hradecky took both the tackling responsibility on the field and the captain’s armband.
The Finn got through quite easily in the Rhine derby against Borussia Mönchenglabach. At about half an hour Granit Xhaka sent the ball into the running line of Florian Wirtz. Wirtz first floated the ball Ko Itakura from the ball and then surely finished the opening goal.
In the second period, Wirtz was able to shoot the hosts’ second goal from the penalty spot By Julian Weigl after sleight of hand before Patrik Schick finished the third at the end of a fine attack.
The scoreless game offered to Hradecky was ruined only in the additional time given by the referee, when the champion team’s loose defense allowed by Tim Kleindiest to enjoy the 3-1 reduction.
Leverkusen’s victory kept Bayern Munich’s league lead still at four points.
The taste of the solution
In London, on the other hand, Arsenal stumbled at home to Aston Villa. A 2-2 draw means that Liverpool have already slipped to within six points.
The final result felt like a defeat for the Gunners, because they had taken a 2–0 lead, but that’s just how the visitors wrote Youri Tielemans and by Ollie Watkins with goals to levels.
Ollie Watkins could complete the goal that decided the Premier League title. EPA / AOP
The point loss felt especially heavy on Saturday, because just a few hours earlier Liverpool had managed to turn a difficult away game into a 2-0 victory with two overtime goals.
Arsenal were also very close to the winning goal, but Kai Havertz The 88th minute shot was disallowed in a var check because the ball bounced into the net from the German’s hand.
Even after that Mikel Merino bombed the ball into the crossbar of the Villa goal, but there was no 3-2 goal to make it easier.
If Liverpool really wins the 20th English league championship in its history, this Saturday will be one of the deciding points for the title.