Bayer Leverkusen vs Dortmund Review
Borussia Dortmund secured a 2-1 win against fellow top-four rivals Bayer Leverkusen, improving their record for away league games to 9 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss. Leverkusen, who had won their previous four matches with a combined score of 12-1 and were coming off an impressive 2-0 away win against Manchester City earlier in the week, entered the match brimming with confidence. Throughout the first half, Leverkusen largely controlled the game but failed to turn their possession into clear scoring opportunities. They were then punished just before halftime when Daniel Svensson’s set-piece found Aarón Anselmino, who headed the ball powerfully past Mark Flekken.
After the restart, the pressure was definitely on Kasper Hjulmand’s team, and they missed a great chance when Malik Tillman, under pressure from Serhou Guirassy, sent a header wide at the far post. On the other side, Guirassy forced a quick reflex save from Flekken, his last significant action before being substituted for Fábio Silva. That change paid off quickly, as just four minutes later, Silva delivered a brilliant whipped cross that caught Loïc Badé off guard, allowing Karim Adeyemi to get ahead of his defender and head in Dortmund’s second goal.
Both teams had chances, Jonas Hofmann hit the crossbar with a shot, and Julian Brandt curled a shot wide when one-on-one against his former club. It seemed like Dortmund would hold on for the win as chances became scarce. However, in the 83rd minute, Ibrahim Maza’s inswinging cross was tapped in by Christian Kofane, giving Leverkusen a late glimmer of hope. However, that turned out to be little more than a consolation.
The win allowed BVB to recover from consecutive last-minute draws in the Bundesliga, moving them up to third place and ahead of their beaten rivals in the league table. Except for a defeat against reigning champions Bayern Munich, Leverkusen had won all their November matches across all competitions, but this defeat represents their sixth loss in 10 head-to-head encounters (with 2 wins and 2 draws).
