The first Leverkusen goal of the game came from an impressive move involving Victor Boniface and Florian Wirtz with Wirtz scoring to make it 1-0 on nine minutes. Alejandro Grimaldo doubled the lead in added time in the first half (45+1') following a corner routine and it was a successful performance by Bayer 04 up to that point. TSG upped their game after the break and levelled with goals from Anton Stach (56') and Wout Weghorst (58’). Six minutes after the equaliser, Weghorst had a chance to give Hoffenheim the lead but the next and final goal of the game was scored by the visitors from Leverkusen: Grimaldo netted to make it 3-2 (70'). The match report is HERE.
Granit Xhaka said after the final whistle: "We showed character, dealt with conceding two goals and invested a lot of effort – that paid off in the end!" Captain Lukas Hradecky added: "We were consistent today – except for the ten minutes that was down to me." The origin of the TSG goal to make it 2-1 was explained by the keeper: "I feel pressure from Prömel, make a bad decision and play a bad pass." But he also highlighted the fact that the "team saved me today. We showed character and firefighter Grimaldo extinguished the last flames."
Head coach Xabi Alonso summed up proceedings as follows: "It was important to come back after the equaliser. We showed good mentality in the moment where Hoffenheim applied a lot of pressure and we also maintained control after conceding the second goal." On the goal at 2-1 scored by Alejandro Grimaldo, which started with a corner routine, the Spaniard said: We practised the whole thing. I'm happy for Sebas (assistant coach Sebastian Parrilla, ed.) and all the staff when we score goals like that and the intensive work pays off."
The Bild-Zeitung highlighted "magic foot Grimaldo" and "the wonderful Wirtz-Boniface move" as factors in the "Leverkusen run" continuing. The kicker also referred to the winning Bayer 04 run in the headline of their match report ("Despite Hoffenheim double blow: Bayer extend run"). The Rheinische Post awards top marks to Alejandro Grimaldo closely followed by Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface. The Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger also gives top marks to Grimaldo ahead of Exequiel Palacios and Wirtz.
Alejandro Grimaldo again played a big part in the victory over Hoffenheim. The Spaniard scored his second brace for the Werkself following his two goals in the Europa League home game against Qarabag (5-1) ten days ago. He now has 12 goal involvements in 15 games (seven goals, five assists). Equally enjoyable: Exequiel Palacios, a regular starter in holding midfield this season, made his 100th appearance for Bayer 04 in Sinsheim – congratulations, Pala!
The Werkself have won ten games in succession for the first time since promotion to the Bundesliga in 1979. Another club record is the 30 Bundesliga goals scored after ten matchdays beating the previous highest of 25 goals at this point in the season. In addition, Leverkusen have scored at least two goals in every competitive match in 2023/24.
The match stats for the game in Sinsheim are more or less equal. Bayer 04 had their noses in front in terms of possession (52%) and in pass completion (88% to 86%), TSG were on top in duels (54%) and the number of shots on goal (12 to 9).
Bayer 04 are again on the road for the next game: The Werkself travel to Azerbaijan for the fourth match in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League. The opponents in the capital Baku on Thursday 9 November (kick-off: 18.45 CET) are the champions Qarabag. That is followed three days later by a home game against Union Berlin at the BayArena (Sunday 12 November, 15.30 CET). The Bundesliga home fixture against the Irons precedes the next international break.
The Bayer 04 Women's team impressively made amends against Werder Bremen one month after the unfortunate exit from the DFB Pokal at the quarter-finals stage. The team led by coach Roberto Pätzold clocked up a an emphatic 6-0 victory on Sunday afternoon. The outstanding Loreen Bender forced the first goal from a corner (2'), scored the second with an excellent long-range effort (39') and brilliantly set up the third goal. Carolin Kehrer netted a brace (50', 55'), with Cornelia Kramer (76') and Delice Boboy (79') also getting on the scoresheet. The afternoon was rounded off perfectly for the Leverkusen Women with a win that gives them 36 points from 17 games setting a new points record in their time in the Bundesliga.
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After the fantastic last season when VfB Stuttgart finished runners-up to the Werkself, the current season is a more patchy affair for the Swabians. VfB are in the midfield of the table, but after four matches without a win, they aim to advance in the Bundesliga when they entertain Bayer 04 on Sunday 16 March (kick-off: 19.30 CET). Head coach Sebastian Hoeneß has more key players at his disposal again. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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The final game before the international break takes Bayer 04 to Swabia. Ahead of the away game at VfB Stuttgart on Sunday, 16 March (kick-off: 19:30 CET), head coach Xabi Alonso talked about an "emotional" clash with last season’s runners-up and also provided an update on his squad.
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The Bayer 04 Women's team have the chance to make amends one month after the exit from the DFB Pokal in the quarter-final against Werder Bremen. On top of that, the Werkself are on the verge of a Bundesliga points record on Sunday, 16 March (kick-off: 14:00 CET at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium/live on MagentaSport and DAZN). Ahead of the game, there will be the chance to get autographs from the currently injured players Katharina Piljic and Vanessa Haim as part of the family matchday.
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