Leverkusen wins late in Heidenheim and stays on Bavaria

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Leverkusen meets very late – and stays on Bavaria

After Bayern’s victory against Augsburg, Leverkusen wanted to follow suit. It looked like a bitter mistake for a long time – but then salvation followed.

Bayer Leverkusen narrowly avoided a bitter setback in the race for the German championship. At 1. FC Heidenheim, the eleven of coach Xabi Alonso came to a very narrow 1-0 success due to a goal in added time. The “Werkelf” hardly scored the chances of scoring over the full 90 minutes. A point for bravely fighting Heidenheimers would have been well deserved. But Emiliano Buendía hit the hosts with a remarkable long -range shot.

Six game days before the end, the Leverkuseners in the master fight also have six points behind the league leaders FC Bayern.

Alonso had hoped for a “reaction” of his team after the weak appearance at the semi-finals in the DFB Cup in Bielefeld, and even the last remaining title chance had long since not given up the Double winner of the past season. “Our goal, our task is very clear: we want to play game for games, but everyone gains to have a chance,” said Alonso.

In Heidenheim, however, his team struggled from the start. The Leverkuseners, who probably had to get along for the last time without the injured Florian Wirtz, hardly came to the offensive against wide -awake hosts – and presented themselves defensively as during the week.

Adrian Beck (11th) had the first big chance to take the lead for Heidenheim, who had to do without his struck striker Budu Siwsiwadse. But it did not remain: Frans Krätzig (18th), Benedikt Gimber (26th) with a slatted and post hit from a short distance and Marvin Pieringer (32nd, 33rd) all gave the best options.

Nothing came from Leverkusen, on the contrary: With partly hair -raising bad passes, the Werkelf itself initiated Heidenheim counterattack, was simply not a means of offering aggressiveness and use of the FCH, which also had significantly more to offer. The 0-0 at half time was correspondingly happy for Bayer.

After the break, Leverkusen managed to make the game more balanced, but the Werkelf was still far away from game control or the goal. Rather, the guests now seemed to be careful not to let Heidenheim get more chances. Then Leverkusen struck.

After moving into the cup final, VfB Stuttgart also ended its dry spell in the Bundesliga – and gave VfL Bochum a heavy blow. Three days after the 3-1 in the semi -finals against RB Leipzig, the runner -up prevailed 4-0 (2-0) in the Ruhr Stadium and posted the first three after six unsuccessful league games.

For the weak Bochum, it becomes more precarious in the relegation battle: after four defeats from the past five games, the upswing under coach Dieter Hecking threatens to fizzle out. The VfL’s home strength is more and more a thing of the past after just one win in the past six games.