False start perfect: Despite a courageous appearance against ex-coach Peter Bosz, Bayer Leverkusen collected the next sensitive damper in the Champions League.
The personnel-defined Werkelf did not come out against the PSV Eindhoven trained by BOSZ beyond a disappointing 1: 1 (0: 0) and is now under massive pressure in the fight for the KO phase against Europe’s heavyweights.
“I think we played one of our best games, we played out a lot of chances – but this is Champions League. We are sad because we deserve more,” said Alejandro Grimaldo at “DAZN”: “We have to go on like this, we have to continue working”.
Christian Kofane (65.) initially earned the Rhinelanders on the winning road, but Ismael Saibari (72nd) equalized for the Dutch champion.
Without the injured striker Patrik Schick and captain Robert Andrich, the German runner-up also remained unbeaten in the fifth competitive game under coach Kasper Hjulmand, but the draw is not enough in view of the brette autumn program in the premier class (UA Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City). With two points from two games, the Leverkuseners rank in the league in the lower half of the table.
After the unsatisfactory 2: 2 at the start in Copenhagen, the German runner -up was already under pressure, but Hjulmand did not want to know anything about special pressure. “The pressure is always there,” the Dane emphasized before the game, “we only think of this game.”
Bayer Leverkusen begins nervous
But the hosts started nervously, after five minutes the workself was lucky that the former Bundesliga professional Ivan Perisic was just offside during his supposed lead goal.
Bayer then got better into the game, Alejandro Grimaldo hit the post with a massive end from an acute angle (11th).
For the Schick, injured on the thigh, Kofane began in the Sturmspitze, the 19-year-old fit well and, together with the Dutch Ernest Poku, the winning goal shooter against FC St. Pauli (2-1) last weekend, revived the offensive game. The workself now dominated the action. Record shopping Malik Tillman failed against his ex-club Frei PSV goalkeeper Matej Kovar (25th), who moved from Leverkusen to Eindhoven in the summer.
Grimaldo ordered the game of the Werkself and ensured the creative moments. A free kick by the Spanish European champion whizzed just past the post (38th). Before the break, the personnel worries under the Bayer Cross continued to increase: the committed Axel Tape, representative of the stricken Lucas Vazquez on the right defense side, grabbed the rear thigh and had to be injured.
After the change of sides, the game became more open, the Dutch ventured more often on the offensive – however, chances remained in short supply. The lead was then given Bayer: Armando Obispo covered the ball in his own penalty area, Kofane thanked him and pushed thoughtfully. Bayer thought he was on the winning road – but Saibari almost scored out of nowhere.