Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten run continued in gorgeous trend as they breezed to a 3-0 win over Bayern Munich on Saturday.
Understanding they might lose high spot with defeat, Leverkusen placed on a present for the house followers as they dominated their well-known guests. Josip Stanisic, on mortgage from Bayern, opened the scoring early on earlier than Alejandro Grimaldo added a second after the break, and Jeremie Frimpong struck in stoppage time to seal the win.
The outcome leaves Leverkusen 5 factors clear on the high of the desk, with the title race firmly of their arms.
How the sport unfolded
Each side made a cautious begin to the sport, clearly conscious of simply how crushing a defeat could be. A mistake from Dayot Upamecano handed Amine Adli a half-chance to open the scoring ten minutes in, however the Leverkusen man’s tame effort was scooped up by Manuel Neuer.
Leon Goretzka curled over the bar from exterior the field quickly after, however Leverkusen poked themselves forward by means of Bayern loanee Stanisic. A fizzed cross discovered the right-back alone within the six-yard field, and Stanisic might hardly miss.
Leverkusen saved coming and Nathan Tella was the subsequent to scare the guests, stinging the gloves of Neuer from shut vary. The stopper then needed to palm Jonathan Tah’s header over the bar.
Bayern, who had switched formation to match Leverkusen’s, regarded uncomfortable and disjointed of their seek for an equaliser and didn’t ask any actual questions of the house facet’s defence. They needed to thank Upamecano late within the half because the Frenchman chased again to make an incredible problem after Adli had gone by means of on objective.
The momentum remained in Leverkusen’s favour after the break and Grimaldo doubled their lead 5 minutes after the restart. A one-two with Tella noticed the left-back crash past Neuer and into the again of the web. Grimaldo then hit the angle of the objective instantly from a nook as he tried to catch Neuer out.
Bayern tried to get again into the sport however Leverkusen merely wouldn’t allow them to. They had been defensively dominant and pressed with immense vitality. Had this sport lasted twice as lengthy, Bayern nonetheless won’t have scored.
Frimpong struck the Bayern publish because the clock ticked on earlier than main a counter within the dying embers and, with Neuer in assault to attempt to save the day on the different finish, he struck into an empty internet to seal a historic victory for Xabi Alonso’s facet.
GK: Lukas Hradecky – 6/10 – Had little or no to do however was at all times alert.
CB: Edmond Tapsoba – 7/10 – Marked Musiala out of the sport whereas additionally enjoying some wonderful balls ahead to progress play.
CB: Jonathan Tah – 7/10 – Managed his field completely. Made positive Kane did not get the house to trigger any hazard.
CB: Piero Hincapie – 8/10 – The busiest of Leverkusen’s defenders, Hincapie appeared to take pleasure in the additional problem. Dominant defensively and linked up with Grimaldo to perfection.
RM: Josip Stanisic – 8/10 – Up in opposition to his dad or mum facet, Stanisic took his objective properly and proved an excessive amount of for Musiala to deal with.
CM: Granit Xhaka – 8/10 – Managed the midfield battle with some good passing and hard tackling. Shook off a first-half knock to face tall for his facet.
CM: Robert Andrich – 7/10 – A sensible cross for Stanisic’s opener. Good motion and passing to assist hold Leverkusen on high.
LM: Alejandro Grimaldo – 8/10 – An absolute menace with some harmful runs and chaotic crossing. Took his objective very well.
AM: Nathan Tella – 7/10 – At all times keen to run past Bayern’s defensive position. Might have simply had a objective of his personal with a bit extra luck however did find yourself with an help.
AM: Florian Wirtz – 7/10 – At all times wished to be in possession and was pleased to attempt to weave round to make one thing occur. Bayern could not work out the way to cease him.
ST: Amine Adli – 6/10 – Excellent work price however Adli simply could not determine issues out within the last third.
Substitutes
SUB: Jeremie Frimpong (65′ for Tella) – 7/10
SUB: Jonas Hofmann (82′ for Adli) – N/A
SUB: Gustavo Puerta (90′ for Grimaldo) – N/A
SUB: Adam Hlozek (90′ for Wirtz) – N/A
Subs not used: Matej Kovar, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Noah Mbamba, Patrik Schick, Borja Iglesias
Supervisor
Xabi Alonso – 8/10 – Did not shift away from his ordinary strategy to video games and reaped the rewards. Went toe to toe with the most important membership in Germany and danced away in victory.
GK: Manuel Neuer – 6/10 – By far the busier of the 2 goalkeepers. Needed to cease this from getting humiliating.
CB: Dayot Upamecano – 4/10 – An awesome restoration problem on Adli was just about the one factor he obtained proper. Some enormous errors, together with for the second objective.
CB: Eric Dier – 4/10 – Seemed uncomfortable from the primary minute and by no means actually settled down. Appeared to be second to each ball.
CB: Kim Min-jae – 5/10 – Did not get a complete lot flawed however did not do a lot proper both. At all times gave the impression to be chasing proceedings.
RM: Noussair Mazraoui – 5/10 – Concerned in rather a lot with out each truly making one thing occur. Could not sustain with Grimaldo.
CM: Aleksandar Pavlovic – 4/10 – Was left chasing shadows as Leverkusen’s midfield simply danced round him effortlessly.
CM: Leon Goretzka – 5/10 – Did his finest to get issues going with some good passing however was nowhere close to as impactful as he wanted to be.
LM: Sacha Boey – 4/10 – Misplaced Stanisic, the person he was signed to interchange, for the opening objective and by no means appeared to settle.
AM: Leroy Sane – 4/10 – Began with vitality however quickly light away. Received nothing out of Hincapie in any respect.
AM: Jamal Musiala – 3/10 – Was marked out of the sport however did not do sufficient to alter proceedings both. Really nameless.
ST: Harry Kane – 3/10 – The work price was there however the influence was properly off. Barely touched the ball as Bayern failed to determine the way to contain him.
Substitutes
SUB: Joshua Kimmich (60′ for Upamecano) – 5/10
SUB: Thomas Muller (60′ for Pavlovic) – 6/10
SUB: Mathys Tel (71′ for Goretzka) – 5/10
SUB: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (81′ for Musiala) – N/A
SUB: Raphael Guerreiro (81′ for Boey) – N/A
Subs not used: Sven Ulreich (GK), Matthijs de Ligt, Adam Aznou, Lovro Zvonarek
Supervisor
Thomas Tuchel – 2/10 – Modified formation and his facet regarded like strangers because of this. Left it far too lengthy to make any impactful substitutes. Simply obtained this all flawed.
