Bayer Leverkusen has successfully completed its task at Molde FK. Alonso’s team consistently took advantage of their chances up front, but in the end they let the game become unnecessarily close.
Xabi Alonso’s team, who celebrated his anniversary as coach of the Rhinelanders on Thursday, beat the double winners from Norway 2-1 (2-0) and lead Group H with two wins.
Jeremie Frimpong (14th) and Nathan Tella (18th) set the course for last year’s semi-finalists to win early on. Molde scored the late goal through Emil Breivik (87th).
This means Leverkusen remains unbeaten in all competitions. On the first EL matchday, Bayer defeated the Swedish representative BK Häcken 4-0.
Lots of rotation at Leverkusen
Alonso changed his starting eleven to seven positions after the 3-0 win at FSV Mainz 05: Matej Kovář, Josip Stanišić, Piero Hincapié replaced Lukas Hrádecký, Odilon Kossounou, Exequiel Palacios, Alejandro Grimaldo, Florian Wirtz, Victor Boniface and Jonas Hofmann , Robert Andrich, Amine Adli, Tella and Adam Hložek.
On the artificial turf in the stadium directly on the Moldefjord, where Bayer attacker Victor Boniface scored the first goal of his professional career, Leverkusen took command from the start against defensive hosts.
Frimpong and Tella make ice-cold use of opportunities
The many changes were noticeable in the Bayer game in the opening minutes, but the Bundesliga leaders took the lead with the first goal chance of the game. After Frimpong won the ball (14th) near the Molde penalty area, the ball bounced to the left to Adli, who placed it back on the right for Frimpong. The right-back pushed in from ten meters down the right.
The second successful offensive action gave Leverkusen a 2-0 lead four minutes later. This time Hložek won the ball on the halfway line and passed it to Tella on the right (18th). The 24-year-old moved into the penalty area and hit the bottom left corner from a half-right position.
The Rhinelanders, who were confident on the ball and passed, let Molde run a lot and continued to press high, but the Norwegians didn’t have any significant chances to score. Instead, Adli (37th) had the 3-0 on their feet after a fine through ball from Tella, but his lob against the rushing FK keeper Jacob Karlstrøm sailed just wide of the goal. Bitter for Karlstrøm: After the subsequent collision with Adli, he had to be substituted due to injury.
Molde gets stronger after the break
Shortly after half-time, Molde became seriously dangerous for the first time. FK captain Magnus Wolff Eikrem passed into the path of Markus André Kaasa (48th), but he did not look for a finish on the edge of the five-meter area, but wanted to cross again. This allowed Jonathan Tah to clarify the situation.
Molde continued to try. A volley from Breivik (52′) flew well over the goal, and Bayer’s goalkeeper Kovář had no problems with a harmless attempt from Ellingsen (53′) from the edge of the penalty area. The hosts had their best chance up to that point through Eikrem (58th), who was denied by Kovář after a dribble from a tight angle.
Leverkusen is becoming careless
Leverkusen then let the ball run through their own ranks and rarely sought a way into the opponent’s penalty area. The Bayer fans had to tremble after Adli lost the ball in the build-up game, after which Eric Kitolano (76th) failed at the left post.
Finally, Molde scored the goal they deserved. Breivik (87th) headed into the far corner from a cross from Mathias Løvik at full speed. After a corner, Martin Ellingsen (90th) almost equalized, but Kovar parried the header into the right corner.
Hofmann, who has since been substituted, could have made the difference in stoppage time, but he only hit the right post.
Now derby against Cologne
Leverkusen continues on Sunday (3:30 p.m.) with the derby against 1. FC Köln. After the international break, Bayer will play on October 21st. (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.) at VfL Wolfsburg, before Qarabag Agdam from Azerbaijan awaits on matchday 3 of the Europa League group phase (October 26, 9 p.m.).