Photo: Federico Gambarini/dpa
The Leverkusen champion heroes stood exhausted in front of the fan curve and were still celebrated after the end of the historic series. This time there was no late comeback, the German football champions were hit in the first home game of the season. After 35 Bundesliga games without defeat, Bayer Leverkusen lost 2:3 (2:1) to Champions League participant RB Leipzig in the top game on Saturday evening and thus had to admit defeat to national competition for the first time since May 27, 2023.
“We had opportunities right up until the end. The goals we conceded were far too easy. Overall, we played a much better game than in the cup. (…) There were mistakes in defense. We were asleep in one or two situations, and that will be punished,” said Jonathan Tah on the TV channel Sky.
Leipzig, who had lost three times against Bayer, ended their losing streak against the defending champions and celebrated their third win in three competitive matches. In front of 29,615 spectators in the BayArena, Jeremie Frimpong (39th) and Alejandro Grimaldo (45th) scored the goals for Leverkusen. Kevin Kampl (45th+7) and two goals from Lois Openda (57th/80th) sealed the defeat for the champions.
“It was fascinating for the spectators too, and ultimately a good ending for us. The 2-1 kept us alive. Leverkusen were better in the first half, but we still believed in ourselves,” said RB sports director Rouven Schröder, adding: “It’s a really good feeling. We have to believe in ourselves. We have incredible potential.”
After the narrow 1-0 victory in the DFB Cup against FC Carl Zeiss Jena, Bayer coach Xabi Alonso rotated the starting eleven again and made a total of seven changes. The ill goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky was still missing and of course Jonathan Tah remained the defensive leader, whose move to FC Bayern Munich did not materialize.
Leverkusen starts boldly
The Bayer coach said before the match that his team was not yet at the top level. His team had the opportunity to improve against the strong Leipzig team. The hosts immediately set an offensive tone and were unlucky that Piero Hincapie’s header only hit the underside of the crossbar (10th minute) and Granit Xhaka’s long-range shot narrowly missed the goal five minutes later.
The guests, who were still active on the transfer market until shortly before the end, initially relied on proven players and did not sign any new players in the starting line-up. Because the suspended Willi Orban was missing from the defense, coach Marco Rose switched to a three-man chain with two additional offensive wingers who dropped back deep when Leverkusen attacked. Rose decided to put the young El-Chadaille Bitshiabu in the starting line-up for the first time in the defensive center.
Yellow-red card for Rose
Leipzig’s coach had to make early changes, however, as Amadou Haidara was hit in the head by an overhead kick from Victor Boniface and was substituted on medical advice. Nicolas Seiwald moved into defensive midfield for him. For Rose, the game was then over, at least on the sidelines. After a foul on Openda, the RB coach complained loudly and several times to referee Matthias Jöllenbeck, who first cautioned the Leipzig coach and then showed him the yellow-red card.
Frimpong took advantage of Leverkusen’s superiority after a mistake by Lukas Klostermann, who headed the ball into the path of the Dutchman and thus made it possible for him to take the lead. The 2-0 was a textbook goal after an exemplary relay of passes by Martin Terrier, Florian Wirtz and the goalscorer Grimaldo.
Kampl’s goal brought excitement back into the game, especially as the guests also had more offensive actions. It was basically the starting signal for a furious second half for Leipzig. Openda then managed to curl the ball past keeper Kovar into the net from a tight angle and surprise the Bayer goalkeeper with a long-range shot in the 80th minute to make it 3-2. Leverkusen threw everything forward again, but this time there was no late comeback.
