Leverkusen (dpa) – With a brace, football artist Florian Wirtz won the otherwise boring Rhineland duel against Borussia Mönchengladbach for Bayer Leverkusen. As in the first leg, Wirtz scored twice in the 3-1 (1-0) win (32nd minute/62nd, hand penalty). In addition, the 21-year-old goalgetter Patrik Schick set up Leverkusen’s third goal (74th). Tim Kleindienst (90+1) scored Gladbach’s consolation goal.
The double winner also won the eleventh competitive game in a row and remains four points behind the record champions and league leaders Bayern Munich.
However, three days before the Champions League away game at Atlético Madrid, Martin Terrier was injured. The offensive player got stuck in the grass without any outside influence and had to be replaced by Piero Hincapie in the eighth minute.
For the Gladbachers, a very bitter English week comes to an end with their third defeat in a row. The last time Borussia suffered three defeats at the start of a calendar year was eleven years ago. With 24 points, former Bayer coach Gerardo Seoane’s team remains in midfield. The return of Tim Kleindienst, who had previously been ill, only paid off in stoppage time. Previously, the national player, like the entire visiting team, had had no luck.
Small service return without effect
Leverkusen struggled for a long time against Borussia, who defended compactly. A lost duel by Philipp Sander, who was again extremely unfortunate, initiated a switching attack in which Wirtz fooled Gladbach’s defender Ko Itakura as if he were air. The national player then deliberately scored.
-The game remained exciting until well into the second half because the dominant Werkself invested little and lacked pace. Only a penalty decided the game. Alejandro Grimaldo shot the ball into Julian Weigl’s arm from point-blank range. Referee Harm Osmers awarded a penalty, which Wirtz converted. Weigl thus caused two penalties against his team within a week. Twelve minutes later, goal scorer Schick finally put the lid on the game thanks to work from Wirtz.
Gladbach disappointed
Nico Elvedi played his 272nd Bundesliga game with Gladbach and, together with his Swiss compatriot Yann Sommer, is now Borussia’s foreign player with the most league appearances.
Four days after the 5-1 defeat in Wolfsburg, Borussia played their next disappointing away game without any courage. In this state, the Seoane team is unlikely to have anything to do with the hoped-for return to Europe.
