The Bundesliga resumed today after a three-week winter break with an important victory for Bayer Leverkusen against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park (2-3), confirming the good moment that ended 2024.
The group of Xabi Alonso it added a sixth consecutive league victory that puts it just one point behind leaders Bayern Munich, who tomorrow visit Borussia M’gladbach with the aim of becoming the winter champions with a day to go in the first round.
Defense in the Dortmund box
Patrick Schick, who closed 2024 scoring four goals against Freiburg, remains released and, with two more goals (he has 11 in the Bundesliga), is the executioner of a Dortmund that played with a square defense because of the losses of Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini and Emre Canall three due to an influenza epidemic, which joined the already known absences of Süle and Anton.
Nuri Sahin, what is Xabi Alonso’s teammate at Real Madrid In the 2011-12 season, he had no choice but to be given ownership for the first time Yannik Lührs, 21 years oldon the rear axle Almugera Kabar, 18, on the left side.
Wirtz’s magical substitution
Xabi Alonso surprised leaving Florian Wirtz on the bench until game time due to “something unexpected that happened this season, something internal,” as the Tolosa coach revealed without giving further details.
Leverkusen didn’t need Wirtz to exploit the weakness of the opposing defense when They are about 25 seconds into the game. The first goal of the Bundesliga of 2025 did not last long because, after a robbery caused by the high pressure of the visitor, it caused the ball to it fell to Nathan Tella, that he didn’t think to put his shot at the short post.
Two arrivals, 0-2
0-2 didn’t last long either. Second arrival and second goal for Leverkusen. Piero Hincapié ran on the left wing after a great pass between the lines by Edmond Tapsoba and his cross to the far post was pushed into the net by Schick (8′).
The start of the game was electric as Dortmund, with plenty of quality in attack, also took advantage of their first chance to get into the game. A reverse rejection of Robert Andrich, in his attempt to cut off a pass in the area, he fumbled Lukas Hradeckywhich remained in the middle of the outside and Jamie Gittens hit him in class the ball (12′).
Schick strikes again
1-2 did not deter Leverkusen, who dealt another blow to Dortmund with another good release of the ball concluded Jeremie Frimpong with an accurate pass so that Schick will take 1-3 before the 20th minute had passed.
It’s true that Dortmund never threw in the towel and managed to go into the break with renewed hope of at least avoiding defeat, but met a great Hradecky.
Hradecky shines
The Finnish goalkeeper straightened with a providential hand to tap a shot from Serhou Guirassy who was poisoned after playing Granite Xhaka.
And above all, Hradecky glowed moments before the break in a double shot, a whiplash from Karim Adeyemi and, on the rebound, the shot Maximilian Beier attached to the pole.
VAR penalty and final emotion
In the second half Schick, before being replaced by Wirtz, He had a hat trick but, alone, he finished the body of Gregor Kobel. Leverkusen, although they had no problem, made it pay shortly after when referee Tobias Stieler, after consulting VAR, awarded a penalty for a slap from Tapsoba in front of the newcomer Julien Duranville.
Guirassy raised the Yellow Wall when the penalty is changed (79′). Sahin He played it with three changes, among them the ng Marcel Sabitzer of the protector Kabar. It took a long time for Leverkusen but they ended their incredible streak of 25 consecutive league games without losing away from home.
On the other hand, Dortmund, unbeaten by Xabi Alonso as coach, suffered their first defeat at home and remain sixth, 11 points behind Bayern.
match lineup
1
2
42
8
26
49
27
10
14
9
43
1
23
3
34
4
12
30
8
19
14
20
SIGNAL IDUNA PARK
Lukás Hrádecky1
Nordi Mukiele23
77′
Piero Hincapié3
94′
Granite Xhaka34
88′
Jonathan Tah4
Edmond Tapsoba12
77′
62′
Jeremie Frimpong30
87′
Robert Andrich8
77′
Nathan Tella19
0′
73′
78′
Patrick Schick14
7′
18′
47′
62′
11′
77′
Alex Grimaldo20
88′
Replacements
Matej Kovar17
Arthur13
87′
77′
Andrea Natalia26
77′
Jonas Hoffmann7
Florian Wirtz10
62′
Alex Garcia24
62′
Exequiel Palacios25
88′
77′
Martin Terrier11
73′
88′
Artem Stepanov29
coach
Nuri Sahin
Xabi Alonso
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
