Two match days before the end of the Bundesliga season, Bayer 04 Leverkusen jumped into a Champions League spot with a convincing win against RB Leipzig.
With three goals from Patrik Schick (25th, 76th, 89th) and one from Nathan Tella (45th) and a goal from Christoph Baumgartner (80th), Leverkusen won the top game on Saturday evening 4-1 (2-0) and, due to the better goal difference with 58 points, moved past the tied TSG Hoffenheim and VfB Stuttgart, who had previously tied 3-3 in the afternoon had separated.
“We played very well, scored four goals and could have scored more goals,” exulted Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand.
Leipzig, which had previously won five games in a row, missed its first chance to secure third place. But with a win from the last two games, RB can still make up for that. “What we were missing today was our own performance. We didn’t bring a lot of things that would have distinguished us onto the pitch today,” analyzed coach Ole Werner.
Early chances on both sides
Both teams started the game the way we know it: plain and fast. Schick (3rd) got stuck with a shot. In return, Romulo (3rd) only hit the side netting. Leverkusen appeared to be more grippy and better prepared afterwards. The hosts repeatedly outplayed the last line with long balls.
However, things initially got tricky again in front of the Bayer goal, but in a wild hustle and bustle, first goalkeeper Mark Flekken and then Aleix Garcia saved from the line (17th). How well Leverkusen had prepared for the top game became apparent a few minutes later.
Controversial ball throw before Leverkusen took the lead
After an RB chance, Flekken was quickly thrown the ball from behind the boards for a goal kick. The goalkeeper sent Tella on her way to the right with a long strike. Then it quickly passed through Ibrahim Maza and Tella again to Schick in the center, who pushed the ball into the net from ten meters on the left to make it 1-0.
The hit shouldn’t actually have counted because as of this season, game balls are no longer allowed to be thrown into the game by ball children or volunteers, but can only be picked up from the cones distributed around the field. Since neither the referee nor VAR intervened, the goal counted and referee Tobias Welz stopped Leverkusen’s tactical approach in the second half by using captain Robert Andrich to point out to the volunteers behind the goal not to bring any balls into play.
Nathan Tella increased shortly before the break
But the lead counted and after that only coach Kasper Hjulmand’s team played. Tella (30th) missed a corner. A little later, the Nigerian was denied by goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoort after another counterattack, and Schick’s follow-up shot was scratched away by El Chadaille Bitshiabu in front of the line (31′).
When Leipzig got better shortly before the break, Bayer struck a second time. Garcia lifted a long ball from the right well into the penalty area. Tella was completely blank in the six-yard box and scored with a volley to make it 2-0 – his first goal of the season.
The guests had to do something and coach Ole Werner’s team came out of the break with significantly more energy. In the first quarter of an hour, RB in particular put pressure on us. Substitute Brajan Gruda (46th) immediately had a shot. Shortly afterwards Andrich had to save against Romulo (49th).
Leizpzig wing pliers without effect
For Leverkusen, Schick (53′) had the first opportunity in the second half. But Vandevoort was at his post. Overall, Leipzig now seemed much more powerful. However, the hosts found their stability again after almost an hour. In particular, the extremely dangerous Leipzig wingers Yann Diomande and Antonio Nusa cut Leverkusen off from the game overall.
The Werkself had the opportunity to increase with a free kick from Alex Grimaldo (72′) and a counterattack from Schick (74′). Schick did that shortly afterwards. The strong Maza drove the ball through midfield and placed it perfectly into the path of the Czech. He stayed cool in front of Vandevoort and shot in the bottom left to make it 3-0.
Leipzig managed to make it 1-3 thanks to Baumgartner’s 13th goal of the season. But there was nothing more possible for the guests. Instead, the strong Schick completed another counterattack with his 16th goal of the season to make it 4-1, making it a perfect evening for the hosts.
Leverkusen in Stuttgart, Leipzig against St. Pauli
For Leverkusen there is almost something like a Champions League final on matchday 33 when the Werkself visit fifth-placed VfB Stuttgart on Saturday afternoon (05/09/2026, 3:30 p.m.).
At the same time, Leipzig has its second chance to secure the premier class for the 2026/27 season with a win in the home game against FC St. Pauli.
