Patrik Schick wrote Bayer Leverkusen history with his decisive goal against SC Freiburg. The striker not only secured a 2-1 home win for Die Werkself on Saturday with his 76th-minute winner but also became the first player for the club to score in each of the first six Bundesliga matchdays of a season. He surpassed the previous records set by Dimitar Berbatov in the 2005/06 season and Stefan Kießling in the 2009/10 campaign.
The victory lifts Bayer Leverkusen to fourth place in the standings, level on ten points from five games with their defeated opponents. Under coach Xabi Alonso, the team now sits just four points behind leaders Bayern Munich. The current form is strong, with Leverkusen having won their last five competitive matches in a row.
Early setback and swift response
The match in a sold-out BayArena started poorly for the hosts. In the 14th minute, Freiburg's youngster Derry Scherhant, one of three Germany debutants in the visitors' starting lineup, capitalized on a defensive lapse to put his side ahead. Leverkusen's response, however, was swift. Just five minutes later, in the 19th minute, Ibrahim Maza equalized to make it 1-1 after being set up by Patrik Schick.
The first half was also interrupted by a fan protest. After about three minutes of play, the Freiburg away section threw tennis balls onto the pitch in protest against material bans at the stadium. Referee Florian Badstübner halted the match for approximately five minutes. Freiburg coach Julian Schuster went to the curve to calm the situation before play could resume.
Schick delivers the decisive blow
In a balanced second half with few clear chances, the established connection between Maza and Schick finally produced the winner. Maza, who had already assisted the equalizer, delivered a precise cross in the 76th minute for the arriving Schick to head home the 2-1 winner. For the Czech international, it was his fifth Bundesliga goal of the season, making him the team's current top scorer.
With this success in hand, Bayer Leverkusen now looks ahead to the next away fixture. The team travels to face 17th-placed 1899 Hoffenheim next Saturday, October 25th. Another victory would be a key step in maintaining their position in the chase for the top spots in the Bundesliga.
Further reading: Bild Sport
On Tuesday, the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger published individual player ratings for the 2-1 win against Freiburg. Ibrahim Maza received the top grade of 1. The paper wrote that it was "a joy to watch him play football". Maza had scored one goal and provided an assist on Saturday. Patrik Schick, who set the club record with his headed winner, also received a grade of 1. Leverkusen are fourth in the table with 13 points from six games.
