Second-placed Bayer Leverkusen closed the gap on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund on Friday. The match was a rollercoaster from the start, captivating fans with five goals in the opening 20 minutes.
Leverkusen wasted no time, taking the lead in the very first minute. A defensive mishap by Dortmund allowed Robert Andrich to feed Nathan Tella, who fired a stunning shot into the top-left corner from the edge of the box.
Just seven minutes later, Leverkusen doubled their advantage. Piero Hincapie delivered a precise square pass to Patrik Schick at the far post, and the Czech striker didn’t miss from close range.
Dortmund fought back swiftly. In the 12th minute, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens capitalized on a failed clearance by Andrich, skillfully chipping the ball over Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky to make it 2-1.
The action didn’t slow down as Leverkusen restored their two-goal cushion in the 19th minute. Jeremie Frimpong’s cutback found Schick again, who tapped in his second goal of the night.
In the second half, Leverkusen had a chance to put the game out of reach, but Schick was denied a hat-trick by a fine save from Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel on the hour mark.
Dortmund set up a tense finale when they were awarded a penalty in the 79th minute after a VAR review. Substitute Serhou Guirassy stepped up and coolly sent Hradecky the wrong way to reduce the deficit to 3-2.
Despite late pressure, Leverkusen held firm to secure the victory. With this win, they move within a point of Bayern Munich at the top of the table. Dortmund, meanwhile, remain in sixth place after suffering their fifth defeat of the season.
Reference(s):
Leverkusen overpower Dortmund in five-goal thriller in Bundesliga
cgtn.com
