What a game! When you hear that as a description of Bayer Leverkusen’s match, Xabi Alonso’s boys are usually responsible. However, this time, hats off to Werder, which put in an outstanding performance and showed how one should face the champions. Bayer were in front twice, thanks to Victor Boniface’s opener and Felix Agu’s silly own goal, but the Bremen side, led by marvellous Marvin Ducksch (who netted the first leveller from his fifth attempt!) and the hero, Romano Schmid, salvaged a 2-2 draw!FT: Werder Bremen 2-2 Bayer Leverkusen.BAYER LEVERKUSEN DROP POINTS FOR THE 4TH TIME THIS SEASON AS THEY MOVE DOWN TO THIRD PLACE, 5 POINTS BELOW RB LEIPZIG! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/CVTxZbFyCM— 𝐀𝐅𝐂 𝐀𝐉𝐀𝐗 💎 (@TheEuropeanLad) October 26, 2024 Leverkusen had no room for error. RB Leipzig came from behind to beat Freiburg earlier today, while Bayern had an easy task (in prospect) against the last-placed Bochum tomorrow. Hence, a triumph against Werder in Bremen was an imperative and Xabi Alonso took no risk.The Spaniard included his most essential forces in the XI, as Jeremie Frimpong, Robert Andrich, Granit Xhaka, and Florian Wirtz were all starters. Even Victor Boniface returned to the lineup after missing the Champions League match against Brest because of a car accident he had been involved in.Leverkusen already looking at Alonso’s replacementWerder played one of the best first halves any Leverkusen rival has played since the beginning of the season, and they still were 1-0 down at the break! The home team had a possession advantage, more shots, and more corner kicks. Marvin Ducksch had two colossal chances – the first in the 14th minute when he unsuccessfully tried to lob Lukas Hradecky and the other five minutes later when the Finnish custodian made a superb save, marking ideally his 200th Bundesliga game for Bayer.200 – Lukáš Hrádecký is the first non-German player to reach 200 Bundesliga appearances for Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Continuity. pic.twitter.com/dQj9xuRkYh— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) October 26, 2024 Yet, Alonso’s lads made use of their one and only chance in the first half and took the lead in the 30th minute! Wirtz’s terrific pass on the right flank for Frimpong tore up Werder’s defence. The Dutchman sent an outstanding cross inside, where Boniface awaited it, smashing it home from close range for 1-0!Werder’s offensive continued after the break, although risky, and one of their wasted attacks could have cost them dearly. Luckily for the Bremen side, their custodian Michael Zetterer managed to stop Boniface’s strike from the edge of the box after a hasty counter led by Wirtz. The German threatened himself in the 62nd minute, only to be stopped by Werder’s keeper.Dortmund’s ‘Madrid wounds’ are still bleedingAs time passed, the home team’s players seemed more tired, leaving the ball to Lever and waiting for the counters. Ducksch was still the main threat to Hradecky but had no support, which caused Werder boss Ole Werner to sub the forward Justin Njinmah in for Leonardo Bittencourt. Until the 70th minute, the 30-year-old Ducksch attempted five times (four on target?!), but Bayer’s captain did not give in.However, the sixth time was the charm for the German, who finally found the net with a fantastic header and, at last, outsmarted Hradecky to equalize the result a quarter of an hour before the end! Yet, the home fans’ joy lasted for only two minutes, given that their defender Felix Agu smashed the ball into his net, trying to clear it in front of Frimpong, leaving 42,000 people at Weserstadion bewildered – 2-1!Wirtz could have ended things in the 84th minute, but his powerful first-touch effort just crashed against Zetterer’s left post. The punishment came in the ultimate minute when Romano Schmid managed to do what Wirtz couldn’t! The position was similar, but Schimd’s ball went straight below the bar into Hradecky’s net – 2-2!This time, Bayer could not come back and Werder “stole” a valuable point in front of the home crowd. Both RB Leipzig and Bayern will celebrate tonight as the club from the east of Germany is five points in front of the current champions, while the Bavarians will have a chance to manage the same if they beat Bochum tomorrow.BUNDESLIGA – MATCHDAY 8Friday Mainz – M’ gladbach 1-1 (0-0)/Lainer 55 og – Kleindienst 57/Saturday Augsburg – Dortmund 2-1 (1-1)/Claude-Maurice 25, 50 – Malen 4/RB Leipzig – Freiburg 3-1 (0-1)/Orban 47, Geertruida 58, Openda 79 – Doan 15/St.Pauli – Wolfsburg 0-0Stuttgart – Holstein Kiel 2-1 (1-0)/Undav 19, Toure 61 – Gigovic 84/Werder – Leverkusen 2-2 (0-1)/Ducksch 75, Schmid 90 – Boniface 30, Agu 77 og/Sunday 16.30: (16.0) Bochum (8.00) Bayern (1.15)18.30: (2.65) Union Berlin (3.20) Eintr.Frankfurt (2.75)20.30: (2.35) Heidenheim (3.50) Hoffenheim (2.90)***odds are subject to change***
