In the cup and in the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen is reeling from frustration to frustration, and there is also a bankruptcy at the start of the Champions League. But against the big favorites of all things, the crisis-ridden team managed a real liberation.
Ninth competitive game, second win - Bayer Leverkusen took a first step out of the crisis with late goals. After a major false start to the season so far, the penultimate Bundesliga team managed a respectable win over Atlético Madrid 2-0 (0-0) in the Champions League. In contrast to the 1-0 loss in Bruges at the start of the competition just a week earlier, the team's courageous performance against the group favorites ensured that discussions about coach Gerardo Seoane should subside for the time being.
In front of 25,825 spectators in the BayArena, Robert Andrich (84th minute) and Moussa Diaby (87th) helped the hosts to a well-deserved victory over the Spaniards on Tuesday. "We did an excellent job. I'm extremely proud of the team. That gives a lot of energy," said Bayer defender Jonathan Tah at DAZN. Thanks to the success, the Werkself improved to second place in the group and kept their chance of reaching the round of 16 before the upcoming away game at FC Porto on October 4th.
The good memories of the opponent, who was defeated 2-1 in the last duel in November 2019 at the same location, only contributed to a limited extent to more self-confidence in view of the unsuccessful past few weeks. And yet the Leverkusen team managed to disrupt the game of the supposed superiority in the early stages.
The Bayer pros complied with coach Seoane's request for a more consistent duel, which was expressed before kick-off. But because the guests, who have always been known for their strong defense, didn't falter, a game developed with a lot of fighting but few chances to score. Only when Andrich (7th) shot over the goal after a pass from Diaby did Bayer come close to scoring. At least they managed to keep the opposing offensive stars Joao Felix and Alvaro Morata in check.
A handball by Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba (21') in his own penalty area, which was checked by the video assistant but not punished, caused the first excitement in the game, which was characterized by tactics. This did not give the game any new impetus. Both teams neutralized each other at a manageable level until the break and thus did not contribute to a high entertainment value. A long-range shot by Diaby (44th) couldn't change that, which the Atlético keeper only got under control in the follow-up.
To the delight of the spectators, things got livelier after the break. The Leverkusen team in particular contributed to this. First striker Patrik Schick (49th) hit the bar with his shot from close range, a few seconds later Hlozek headed the ball just wide of the empty goal. This double chance inspired the hosts. But the guests also invested more in their offensive game. Rodrigo de Paul (68th) tested Bayer keeper Lukas Hradecky with a lob. Two minutes later, Schick maintained his reputation as an unlucky goalscorer and missed the next chance for Leverkusen to take the lead.
Andrich stepped in as a goal scorer for the poor Schick. A low shot from the midfielder into the bottom left corner paved the way to victory. The encouraging performance was rounded off by the fact that Bayer defeated the opponent at the end with their own weapons and Diaby scored the 2-0 on the counterattack.
