Ahead of the game, head coach Peter Bosz outlined the tactical approach to the third meeting with Paderborn this season following the 3-2 win in the league and the 1-0 victory in the DFB Cup. Having a plan, concentration, being compact, control – that was how the Werkself were due to counter possibly the hardest running and most attacking team at the bottom of the table in the history of the Bundesliga. There were no great surprises in terms of personnel although options were limited by five players being sidelined – the suspended Leon Bailey (three-match ban), Wendell (one match) and Exequiel Palacios (suspension carried over from Argentina) plus the injured Charles Aránguiz (calf) plus Paulinho who is away with the Brazil Olympic squad. Daley Sinkgraven played at left-back, Julian Baumgartlinger and Kerem Demirbay played in holding midfield and Kevin Volland was preferred up front to Lucas Alario.
Both sides were fast out of the blocks at the Benteler Arena in a lively encounter between two attacking sides that saw the first exciting action come after just two minutes: Moussa Diaby played the ball inside from the left flank, Volland picked out Kai Havertz on the six-yard box but the Paderborn goalkeeper Leopold Zingerle was able to save a low shot with his foot. Karim Bellarabi's follow-up was blocked – that could have given the Werkself an early lead. At the other end, Lukas Hradecky had no problem parrying a shot from Kai Pröger (4').
As intensely as Paderborn played, the Werkself were required above all to be accurate with their passing. And that worked brilliantly, Demirbay helped recover possession after losing the ball, Baumgartlinger increased the tempo after swapping sides with Diaby and his pinpoint cross saw Volland rise to head home into the bottom right corner to make it 1-0 (11'). And the Werkself soon struck again: A Demirbay free kick found Havertz who crossed from the left for Volland to again rise highest leaving Sebastian Vasiliadis stranded to make it 2-0 with another header (14') – his seventh goal of the season and, at the same time, his fastest double scored in 157 seconds.
Shortly after that, a whipped-in cross from Bellarabi flew across the six-yard box past friend and foe (16'), Bayer 04 were on top and dominated the first 20 minutes. Above all, the extremely confident Demirbay upped the pressure as he initiated a lot of attacks. Paderborn were left chasing shadows and scarcely posed a threat up front with a cross from Pröger being plucked out of the air by Hradecky in the danger zone (34'). And Leverkusen landed another blow in the first half. The SCP keeper Zingerle dropped a Bellarabi cross and Baumgartlinger remained calm in front of goal to slot the ball into the back of the net to make it 3-0 (36').
A minute later, Volland just failed to connect with a Diaby cross that would have seen him score a hat-trick (37'). Paderborn were overrun by a resolute Werkself who produced a notably mature and determined performance – that will have pleased sporting managing director Rudi Völler who was at home in Düsseldorf as he was unable to be at the game due to illness.
The second 45 minutes saw Paderborn hit back. After Hradecky saved from Pröger in a one-on-one, he then failed to hold on to a shot from Klaus Gjasula and Srbeny, who has just returned from Norwich City, scored at the second attempt to pull a goal back for the hosts (51'). That was exactly what the Werkself wanted to avoid. Paderborn sensed their chance and the next decent goalscoring opportunity came a minute later from Christopher Antwi-Adjei. Hradecky held onto a shot from Gerrit Holtmann from 20 yards out at the second attempt (55').
Bayer 04 now had to make every effort to maintain control against a clearly revived and powerful home team. A curler from Havertz that flew just wide of the top corner was a first response in the search to reestablish their superiority (61') and a shot from Volland from a tight angle was turned into the side netting (63’). At the other end, Sinkgraven pulled off a last-ditch tackle to deny Srbeny and he had to receive treatment on the pitch (65’). The Dutchman was able to carry on. Paderborn almost immediately brought on Streli Mamba in place of Srbeny as the last card up front and the best goalscorer.
Peter Bosz also reacted by bringing on Alario in place of Bellarabi (71'). The Argentinian moved into the centre with Volland going out to the left and Diaby switching to the right flank. Hradecky was not taken by surprise with a cheeky attempt from Mamba from the byline to the near post (74'). A great counter-attack from Leverkusen landed the final blow on Paderborn: Volland won the ball on the halfway line with a physical intervention, passed to Diaby whose low cross found Havertz and the right-foot shot from the Germany international was slightly deflected on its way into the net to make it 4-1 (75'). Mitchell Weiser replaced Sinkgraven on 78 minutes.
Bayer 04 had now regained control. A Demirbay shot was blocked and Zingerle was able to keep out an Alario header (81'). The keeper also held onto a Volland effort that was given offside (86'). The match was over soon after that and Bayer 04 secured the first win in a new year for the first time in six years. It was also the sixth away win for the Werkself in the current campaign.
The second match for Bayer 04 in the second half of the season is also on a Sunday at 18.00 CET: Fortuna Düsseldorf visit the BayArena on 26 January.
Match stats:
SC Paderborn: Zingerle – Dräger, Kilian, Schonlau, Jans (Holtmann 46') – Pröger, Vasiliadis, Gjasula (Sabiri 60'), Antwi-Adjei – Srbeny (Mamba 65'), Michel
Bayer 04: Hradecky – L. Bender, Tah, S. Bender, Sinkgraven (Weiser 78') – Baumgartlinger, Demirbay – Bellarabi (Alario 71'), Havertz, Diaby – Volland
Goals: 0-1 Volland (11’), 0-2 Volland (14’), 0-3 Baumgartlinger (36’), 1-3 Srbeny (51’), 1-4 Havertz (75’)
Referee: Daniel Siebert (Berlin)
Booked: Vasiliadis, Gjasula, Sabiri – Havertz
Attendance: 15,000
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