Unlike the top game against FC Bayern, Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the Bundesliga at the bottom of the Bundesliga in the bottom of the Holstein Kiel also converted his superiority to three points. In the 2-0 (2: 0) away win, the German champion does not burn anything on matchday 23.
As with the 2-2 in the first leg against Kiel, Leverkusen started strongly and took the lead early. But in contrast to the first meeting, the Alonso team pulled its game through this time. Patrik Schick (9th) and Amine Adli (45th) scored the goals for the superior guests. “Efficient and serious“, Bayer coach Xabi Alonso called the appearance of his team at the 28th Bundesliga away game in a row without defeat:”It was not easy because of the square and an opponent who wanted to. But the boys played with a good attitude and I am very, very satisfied.“
This will not grow Leverkusen’s gap to leaders Bayer Munich – and Kiel, who remained without his own goal for the first time after nine games, continues to take the last place with 13 points. “Deserved victory for Leverkusen“, Holstein coach Marcel Rapp stated at the Sportschau microphone not without praising his team:”My team gave everything, left everything on the pitch.“
Chic meets the third attempt
The start phase already showed where the game would go. Leverkusen put in Kiel in the half of the Holstein and had collected three corners and two big opportunities after just five minutes. And after he had failed on the goalkeeper (5th) and once cleared Shuto Machino on the line (6th), Schick brought his third attempt in the goal.
Starting eleven returnees Adli had pulled the ball in from the left, Holstein goalkeeper Timon Weiner unhappily extended and so Schick only had to push the ball over the line from four meters. At the 15th goal of the season, one or the other Leverkusen fan certainly had the idea of how it would have been if the Czech had also been on the pitch in the 0-0 against Munich the previous week.
Leverkusens Adli increases shortly before the break
In principle, Leverkusen in principle dominated at will. Only once was the master on the height when a pass through the center was enough to send Magnus Knudsen (22nd) on the trip. But Bayer goalkeeper Matej Kovar had thought and slipped into the ball almost 30 meters in front of the goal.
A little later on the other side, Weiner was back in the spotlight when he strongly defused an Adli head ball (25th) from eight meters. So Kiel stayed close on the score until shortly before the break before the guests struck again. David Zec slipped an inaccurate cross pass under the tunnels. Florian Wirtz intervened, dribbled towards the defense and placed on the starting Adli at the right moment. He scored the 2-0 with a lupfer across the weerer rushing out.
Kiel does not give up
10: 2 goal shots, 7: 2 corners, 63 percent possession – everything spoke for Bayer 04 Leverkusen during the break. But Kiel had already shown with a shot from Knudsen shortly before the half-time whistle that it had standing qualities. And so the northern Germans also took the second half with courage and had the first good advance through Armin Gigovic (48th).
But Leverkusen also got his possibilities. Weiner had to make a long goal from a Tapsoba shot (54th) from 22 meters to prevent the third goal. Overall, the game became more open. Kiel played bravely, Leverkusen no longer always had access. Nevertheless, the team of Marcel Rapp brought up the table runners -up, which also remained without conceding the third league game in a row.
For this, Leverkusen on the other side still had the big chance of another goal on a counterattack, but Wirtz (84th) shot the ball in a central one from 14 meters.
Kiel in Berlin, Leverkusen in Frankfurt
Kiel is in demand on the 24th matchday at Union Berlin (Sunday, 02.03.2025, 3:30 p.m.). The day before, Leverkusen is a guest at Eintracht Frankfurt in the top game (6.30 p.m.).