Jonas Hofmann fired Bayer Leverkusen to a 2-0 away win at OFI Crete in the Europa League with a first-half brace. The German international struck in the 35th and 37th minutes to secure a third consecutive victory in the competition's league stage. This victory extended the team's winning run across all competitions to five games, following recent league wins against SC Freiburg (2-1) and Mainz (4-3).
The win marked Leverkusen's sixth in a row across all competitions. Manager Carles Martínez, who had nominated Hofmann on Tuesday as a replacement for the injured Martin Terrier, started the attacker from the off. “Not answerable,” Martínez said post-match regarding tactical queries. The Spaniard had experimented with Janis Blaswich in goal and several rotations.
How the match unfolded
Leverkusen dominated from the outset and created a clear surplus of chances. After half an hour, Malik Tillman found Hofmann, who turned and finished from close range for 1-0. Just two minutes later, Hofmann doubled the lead following another passing move. OFI came close to pulling one back just before the break when Taxiarchis Fountas saw his deflected shot crash against the crossbar.
In the second half, Leverkusen continued to control proceedings but missed chances to kill the game through Nathan Tella and Miguel Gutiérrez. OFI goalkeeper Klidman Lilo made several saves, including one from Afonso Moreira. Leverkusen, who had 63% possession and 33 shots, never looked in danger. The side now sits comfortably atop their group with nine points and a goal difference of 8:0.
Looking ahead to Hoffenheim
The current form provides Leverkusen with momentum for the Bundesliga. Carles Martínez's team is fourth with 13 points, just one point behind leaders Bayern Munich. In the league, Leverkusen has four wins, one draw, and one loss from six matches, having scored 16 goals and conceded nine. Top scorer Patrik Schick came on as a substitute against OFI but has already netted six goals in six appearances this season.
Next up is a trip to face TSG Hoffenheim on Sunday. The away match at the SNP Arena kicks off at 15:30. Leverkusen aims to extend its positive run, despite losing the last meeting 1-0 in January. Against the side currently 14th in the table, they will look to build on a perfect record of five wins from their last five competitive matches. The team can check the upcoming fixtures schedule.
On Thursday, October 22, Bayer Leverkusen won 2-0 at OFI Crete. According to RTL, the match was not broadcast on free-to-air TV. The broadcaster confirmed that a paid subscription to RTL+ was required for the live broadcast. Sky Sport also showed the game. Leverkusen thus continues its run of five wins in its last five competitive matches.
