Next winning goal in stoppage time – Bayer Leverkusen continued their dream season with a five-goal spectacle at the start of the second half of the season.
Coach Xabi Alonso’s team, which was strongly superior in the second half, won the brilliant top game against DFB Cup winners RB Leipzig 3:2 (0:1) and remains unbeaten even after the 18th matchday. In addition, league leaders Leverkusen kept the pressure on pursuers Bayern Munich.
Leipzig also lost their second home game of the year and missed the chance to collect important points against teams from the top half of the table in the race for renewed Champions League qualification.
“I don’t always have to have that. But if we win a few games like that, we’ll of course be happy to accept it,” said national player Jonas Hofmann in the “Sky” interview. Alonso made the crucial changes during the half-time break: “Then we pressed and ultimately deserved to win.”
Nathan Tella (47th) and Jonathan Tah (63rd) each equalized for Leverkusen, Piero Hincapie (90th + 1) became the late match winner. Last week, Leverkusen won the game at FC Augsburg in injury time. Young star Xavi (8th) scored for RB with a magic goal and Lois Openda (56th).
At Leipzig, playmaker Dani Olmo celebrated his long-awaited starting eleven comeback after 139 days. “You don’t often have players of this quality,” RB coach Marco Rose said in advance about the Spaniard’s importance. Alonso again relied on national player Florian Wirtz from the start in the “top game against a top opponent”.
RB Leipzig starts powerfully
However, Wirtz and Co. were initially challenged defensively in a fast-paced opening phase. Leipzig started with enormous pressure, was confident in passing and could rely on the enthusiasm of its offensive players. Xavi, Olmo, Benjamin Sesko and Openda often started dribbling and created space at great speed.
Granit The 20-year-old Dutchman took the ball with his back to the goal, turned on his own axis and scored a well-deserved lead, which Sesko (9th) extended almost immediately.
The Champions League round of 16 side Leipzig remained the dominant team even after the goal. The Rose team slowed down but were still extremely dangerous. Mohamed Simakan tested the busy Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky from a distance (23′).
The Werkself, who were otherwise so strong, had problems on the offensive. Alonso was noticeably dissatisfied, the Spaniard corrected with wild gesticulations. Due to various minor interruptions, the flow of the game was somewhat lost at the end of the first half.
After the break the intensity returned immediately. The Werkself found their self-confidence again and ensured an offensive exchange of blows. After the strong equalizer, Patrik Schick (53′) and Wirtz (55′) had the lead. RB took care of this after a perfect counterattack, and Tah then headed in from a corner.