beat Bayer Leverkusen The defending champion won 3-2 over its host Borussia Dortmund Thanks to Patrik Schick’s two goals yesterday, Friday, he achieved his sixth successive victory in the German Football League, and reduced the gap behind leaders Bayern Munich to one point.
In a strong start, the visiting team scored 3 goals in the first 19 minutes with the return of league competitions, after the three-week winter break.
Dortmund, who twice pulled one back, fielded a largely makeshift squad due to flu cases and injuries, with the team losing at home for the first time this season.
Leverkusen is three ahead of Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund’s defense line had to be formed at the last minute after defenders Waldemar Anton, Emre Can, Ramy Bensebaini and Nico Schlotterbeek were excluded, in addition to the long-term injured Niklas Süle.
The impact of the absences was evident immediately, and Leverkusen seized the ball thanks to high pressure, and Nathan Tella scored from close range just 25 seconds after the start of the match.
Dortmund, which suffers from many absences due to injury and illness, did not get a chance to regain its balance, as Leverkusen doubled its lead in the eighth minute through Cech, who completed a typical counterattack.
The home side reduced the deficit through Jimmy Gittens four minutes later, but Czech striker Cech restored Leverkusen’s two-goal lead in the 19th minute with a brilliant finish at the far post from another counterattack.
Leverkusen player Patrik Schick celebrates scoring the second goal – Reuters
The Czech international player, who also scored 4 goals in the last match of 2024 against Freiburg on December 21, now has 11 goals in the league this season.
The hosts did not have any significant chances in the second half, but Dortmund returned to the atmosphere of the match when Serho Geraci scored from a penalty kick in the 79th minute.
But Leverkusen withstood the pressure, mainly due to the excellent defensive performance by Edmund Tapsoba and Piero Hincapie, to reach the 35th point, one point behind Bayern Munich, who visits Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday.
After suffering its first home loss in the league this season, Dortmund’s score froze at 25 points in sixth place.