Bayer Leverkusen secured an important home victory on the fourth matchday of the Bundesliga. Xabi Alonso's team defeated direct rivals RB Leipzig 2-0 at the BayArena on Saturday evening.
Spanish full-back Miguel Gutiérrez was the decisive figure of the night. In the 44th minute, he delivered a precise cross for Patrik Schick, who converted to make it 1-0. With this goal, Schick is now Leverkusen's outright top scorer this season with four goals in four appearances. Gutiérrez capped his strong performance with a goal of his own in the 57th minute. Following a low cross from Ibrahim Maza, he finished from close range for 2-0.
The Match
Leipzig had a good spell in the first half. In the 34th minute, Christopher Nkunku scored following a pass from Rômulo, but the referee disallowed the goal for offside after a VAR review. Bayer Leverkusen countered effectively. They took their first clear chance through Schick before the break. After halftime, the home side controlled the game better. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken still had to save some long-range efforts from Neil El Aynaoui and Ezechiel Banzuzi, but the defence prevented any major opportunities.
The Reaction
Miguel Gutiérrez was named Man of the Match after the final whistle. "Miguel Gutiérrez was named Man of the Match after providing the assist for Schick's opener with a delightful cross before scoring the second goal himself with a low, near-post finish," the Spaniard said. Manager Xabi Alonso praised his team's focused defensive display. The win moves Bayer Leverkusen up to fifth place in the standings with seven points from four games.
It was a second consecutive league victory, solidifying their good form. The team now looks ahead to the international break and prepares for their next away fixture at FSV Mainz 05 on October 10th. Patrik Schick leads the club's scoring charts with four goals.
Further reading: bundesliga.com
