Leverkusen edge Heidenheim to equal record unbeaten run
HEIDENHEIM: Bayer Leverkusen scored in each half to battle past hosts Heidenheim 2-1 on Saturday and open up an eight-point gap at the top of the table as they equalled a German record by going 32 matches unbeaten in all competitions.
The visitors, who have never won a Bundesliga title, snatched the lead on the stroke of halftime when Jeremie Frimpong slotted home a deflected shot.
Leverkusen, whose last major trophy was the 1993 German Cup, had chances to score again and Germany international Florian Wirtz hit the crossbar in the 77th minute.
He made soon amends, however, delivering a superb assist for Amine Adli to make it 2-0. Heidenheim reduced the deficit in the 87th through Tim Kleindienst but could not find an equaliser.
Xabi Alonso’s team have not lost a match this season in domestic and European competitions, equalling Bayern Munich’s record run of 32 unbeaten matches from 2020.
“It was not difficult for us to play well after last week,” Alonso said, in reference to his team’s 3-0 win over Bayern Munich. “We were ready to do it today and I liked that. The players are ready not just for the top games but they were alert and motivated today as well.
Leverkusen, who have won 28 and drawn four matches in all competitions, head the Bundesliga standings on 58 points, eight ahead of Bayern. Heidenheim, whose eight-game unbeaten run in the league came to an end, dropped to 10th.
In Saturday’s other fixtures, RB Leipzig’s won 2-0 at home against Borussia Moenchengladbach in a match overshadowed by the death of a spectator who fell ill in the stands.
Leipzig tweeted during the game that medical staff had “tried to resuscitate” the individual but were unsuccessful.
Once the news was announced, the stadium fell silent for the remainder of the match.
Leipzig boss Marco Rose said “I thought the fans reacted well. You realise that other things are much more important than football, like your health.”
Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons gave his team the lead with a brilliant goal, bouncing a Dani Olmo pass off his thigh before unleashing a rocket from the edge of the box.
Lois Openda doubled Leipzig’s lead after 57 minutes, chipping over the goalkeeper’s head and into the goal.
Leipzig’s win took them one point behind fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund, who drew 1-1 at struggling VfL Wolfsburg, with home midfielder Yannick Gerhardt’s second-half header cancelling out an early Niclas Fuellkrug goal.
Having absorbed some early pressure from the hosts, Dortmund scored after eight minutes, Fuellkrug kneeing in a rebound from a Marco Reus shot on the counter.
Meanwhile, Serhou Guirassy scored his first goal of the calendar year as 10-man Stuttgart won 2-1 at Darmstadt to go five clear of Dortmund in third while Brenden Aaronson helped Union Berlin secure a crucial 1-0 victory over Hoffenheim. Union’s win took them eight points clear of the relegation spots.
Elsewhere, Mainz won just their second match of the season 1-0 at home over Augsburg, with Liverpool loanee Sepp van den Berg’s first-half strike enough despite Nadiem Amiri missing a penalty.
Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2024