- Bayer Leverkusen scored two late goals to beat Hoffenheim 2-1 at BayArena on Saturday
- Leverkusen, who last won a major title over 30 years ago, are closing in on clinching the Bundesliga
There was drama in the Bayer Leverkusen vs Hoffenheim match played on Saturday as Leverkusen scored two late goals to secure comeback win.
The Bundesliga leaders trailed in the first half when Maximilian Beier put Hoffenheim in front after breaking clear and then beating the goalkeeper. There was no response from the hosts until the dying minutes of the match when Robert Andrich and Patrik Schick scored to turn the match around.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Hoffenheim. Photo/ Flashscore.
Andrich stabbed in the equalizer in the 88th minute and then Schick scored the winner in stoppage time. It was a big win for Xabi Alonso’s side who now have 73 points and occupy the top spot in the Bundesliga. They are unbeaten across all competitions and have increased their impressive run to 39.
Hoffenheim were just a few minutes away from stopping Leverkusen but the their winning mentality helped them produce another moment of magic in the dying minutes of the encounter. This is not the first time that Xabi Alonso’s side have done something like this in 2024. They scored in their Europa League tie against Qarabag to avoid suffering defeat in both legs.
“Every game is a huge challenge for us. We were lucky but we showed a very good mentality to keep going, to keep believing. We had a chance to win just like against Qarabag and we did it. To have this faith to have a winning mentality, it is something that is created and we have created it this season.” Xabi Alonso said after the Bayer Leverkusen vs Hoffenheim match, according to Reuters.
Leverkusen, who last won a major title over 30 years ago, are closing in on clinching the Bundesliga and it’s now just a matter of days before they are declared champions. They are 13 points on top of the standings with a few games left to play before the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Hoffenheim, who will be regretting missing the opportunity to stop Alonso’s men, are ninth on the table with 33 points.
Bayer Leverkusen Vs Hoffenheim
All the talks before the match were based on Xabi Alonso deciding to extend his contract at Bayer Leverkusen for another year. The Spanish manager had been linked to Bayern Munich and Premier League giants Liverpool after both clubs announced that they will be parting ways with their respective managers at the end of this season.
Prior to kick-off at at BayArena in Leverkusen on Saturday, many predicted that Bayer Leverkusen were going to walk away with an easy win over Hoffenheim. However, the visitors made them fight for the three points to the last minute.
The hosts dominated the game on the early stages, just as expected. However, they struggled to come up with somethings meaningful in front of goal and Granit Xhaka’s long range effort was comfortably saved by Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.
Maximilian Beier would then silence the home crowd in the 33rd minute after playing one-two with last season’s Manchester United loanee Wout Weghorst and then slotting the ball into the back of the net. Leverkusen tried to respond in the first half but were not lucky as Baumann denied Jonas Hoffman.
Robert Andrich scored the equalizer for Bayer Leverkusen in the 88th minute. Photo/ Exclusif.net.
Alonso’s men continued to pile the pressure after the break but had the challenge of beating Baumann, who was very solid at the back.
Leverkusen would then constantly camp in Hoffenheim’s box with time running out and sent a stern warning when Borja Iglesias rattled the crossbar. Finally, their efforts paid off in the 88th minute when Robert Andrich volleyed in the ball.
BayArena erupted after that goal and motivated their players to search for the winner, which eventually arrived in stoppage time. It was Patrik Schick who was just at the right place at the right time to win the match for Leverkusen.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login