Wirtz makes Messi: Leverkusen is first within the Bundesliga once more after a 2-1 win towards Freiburg

Florian Wirtz helped coach Xabi Alonso to a profitable anniversary with a magic objective within the type of Lionel Messi and Bayer Leverkusen to a direct return to the highest of the Bundesliga desk. The 20-year-old nationwide participant broke the spell within the 2-1 (1-0) win towards the fiercely defending SC Freiburg after an virtually unbelievable dribbling efficiency with 14 ball contacts (thirty sixth). He did the preparatory work for Jonas Hofmann’s 2-0 objective (60′). Wirtz was even concerned in 4 targets within the 5-1 win towards Karabakh Agdam within the Europa League on Thursday.

By successful the fiftieth aggressive recreation below Alonso, Leverkusen took again the highest place from FC Bayern Munich after one night time. The 25 factors and 27:8 targets that the Werkself now have within the statistics have solely been exceeded as soon as in 60 years of the Bundesliga after 9 match days: Within the 2015/16 season, Bayern below coach Pep Guardiola had 9 wins and due to this fact 27 Counters began.

I simply must see who’s on the bench at Leverkusen. You don’t have to take a look at the place anymore. You already know every little thing.

Christian Streich, Coach of Freiburg at Dazn

For Freiburg’s coach Christian Streich, a irritating statistic was confirmed regardless of Manuel Gulde’s objective (seventieth): in his twelfth recreation with SC towards a league chief, he misplaced for the twelfth time. And presently Freiburg, who like Leverkusen play within the Europa League, needed to lose contact with the European Cup locations.

Freiburg got here again by way of Gulde’s header

The SC gained 3-1 at Backa Topol in Serbia in the course of the week, however suffered two accidents in Maximilian Philipp and Roland Sallai. Streich appeared correspondingly skeptical earlier than the sport and a have a look at Leverkusen’s line-up strengthened this skepticism. “I simply want to take a look at who’s sitting on the bench at Leverkusen,” he mentioned on DAZN: “You don’t must look on the pitch anymore. You already know every little thing.”

And the Leverkusen staff did every little thing they may to make sure that the Freiburg staff didn’t lose respect. Granit Xhaka narrowly missed making it 1-0 after simply 47 seconds. Because of this, the hosts Freiburg narrowed down round their very own penalty space. However the Breisgauers, from whom Streich had demanded an “extraordinarily excessive tolerance for frustration,” bumped into the areas diligently and in a disciplined method, and each time doable all SC gamers had been behind the ball. AS Roma just lately defended in Leverkusen, on the behest of Coach José Mourinho within the 0-0 draw within the Europa League semi-finals in Could.

Streich, as normal, was emotional on the sidelines and all the time cheered and applauded when a Freiburg leg blocked a supposedly harmful shot. Regardless of an unbelievable 82 % possession, 7-0 corners and 9-1 photographs on objective, Bayer didn’t have a very good likelihood to attain till the thirty fifth minute. Till Wirtz had sufficient: Within the tightest area, he hit a number of gamers within the penalty space and shot together with his left foot into the far nook from seven meters.

Regardless of the deficit, Freiburg initially remained deep after the break, whether or not voluntarily or involuntarily remained an open query. After an hour, Wirtz once more used an excellent dribble, misplaced the ball, regained it and fed Hofmann. His shot hit the submit and off goalkeeper Noah Atubolu’s again into the online.

Jeremie Frimpong hit the submit six minutes later after a robust solo and later Wirtz additionally hit the crossbar (74′). As a result of Leverkusen remains to be so susceptible in normal conditions, Freiburg got here again into the sport with Gulde’s header from a free kick from Vincenzo Grifo. (dpa)