BERLIN — Bayer Leverkusen showcased an impressive performance as they triumphed over Freiburg with a scoreline of 5-1 on Saturday, maintaining the pressure on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich just ahead of the winter break.
Florian Wirtz was instrumental in the match, contributing significantly to Patrik Schick’s four-goal haul. Wirtz, who is yet to renew his contract with Leverkusen, assisted Schick for three of his goals and netted his seventh league goal this season.
Although Leverkusen controlled the match, they had to wait patiently for their first goal. Schick managed to open the scoring just before halftime, delicately chipping the ball over the goalkeeper. After the interval, Wirtz displayed remarkable skill to evade a defender before scoring himself from a tight angle.
Freiburg’s Vincenzo Grifo managed to reduce the deficit four minutes later, but Wirtz continued to display his playmaking ability. He set up Schick for his third goal with a well-placed cross in the 67th minute, then assisted him again in the 74th minute for Leverkusen’s fourth goal. Schick praised Wirtz afterward, stating, “For a striker, it’s a dream to have this player behind you.”
Schick capped off the scoring with a header from a corner three minutes later, which was the only goal not assisted by Wirtz. Leverkusen’s latest victory marked their eighth consecutive win across all competitions, leaving them four points behind Bayern Munich.
Leverkusen is set to continue their league campaign against Borussia Dortmund on January 10, while Bayern Munich will face Borussia Mönchengladbach one day later.
In other news, Brazilian goalkeeper Kauã Santos had a challenging outing for Eintracht Frankfurt, who suffered a surprising 3-1 defeat to ten-man Mainz. Frankfurt dominated possession with 34 shots compared to Mainz’s nine, but their efforts were in vain after Mainz took control despite being reduced to ten players when captain Nadiem Amiri received his marching orders in the 21st minute.
Santos had an early misfortune, scoring an own goal after playing a short pass to an under-pressure teammate. The ball rebounded off the crossbar and then back into the net via Santos’ arm. Paul Nebel scored soon after with a deflected shot to extend Mainz’s lead. Santos was again blamed for a mistake that led to another goal from Nebel in the 58th minute.
Despite Rasmus Kristensen pulling one back for Frankfurt in the 75th minute, it was not enough to change the outcome. Defender Robin Koch weighed in on Santos’ tough day, stating, “He’s a young player, these things happen. But he’s a good guy, he’ll come out of it.” Santos stepped in as a substitute since regular goalkeeper Kevin Trapp and reserve Jens Grahl were unavailable due to illness.
In an unexpected result, Johannes Eggestein led the promoted St. Pauli to a 1-0 victory against Stuttgart, who finished as last season’s runner-up and had enjoyed a four-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Union Berlin’s winless streak extended to nine matches with a 4-1 loss to Werder Bremen. Holstein Kiel snapped their five-game losing streak by defeating Augsburg 5-1, and Borussia Mönchengladbach clinched a 2-1 win against Hoffenheim.
All matches commenced with a moment of silence to honor the victims of a recent tragic incident at a Christmas market in Magdeburg.
“There are always more important things than football,” expressed Freiburg coach Christian Günter.