The luck of the late goals remains with Bayer Leverkusen. Josip Stanisic’s equalizer to make it 1-1 (0-0) in stoppage time in the top game at Borussia Dortmund was celebrated almost as loudly as the championship a week earlier. Minutes after the final whistle, the sovereign title holders were still being celebrated by their fans. In contrast, fifth-placed Dortmund suffered a setback in their fight for Champions League qualification on Sunday.
The hopes of a spectacle between the two most recently successful teams were not fulfilled. A week after the championship party against Bremen and just three days after the exhausting semi-final in the Europa League at West Ham, the Bayer team lacked freshness and wit this time, but not the necessary concentration. In front of 81,365 spectators in the Dortmund stadium, Niclas Füllkrug (81st) and Josip Stanisic (90th + 7) ensured the deserved draw on Sunday.
In contrast to their exhilarating performance in the quarter-finals of the European premier class against Atético Madrid five days earlier, BVB fell far short of their potential. The division of points puts the Terzic team in dire straits ahead of the duel with their neighbors from Leipzig, who are now two points better in the table, on the next match day.
“Our goal is to go through the season undefeated,” commented Granit Xhaka on the internet broadcaster Dazn. The Bayer Leverkusen captain continued: “That was a deserved point.” His unbeaten team wants to extend the series: “We want to keep going.” “We were the better team throughout the entire season,” said BVB striker Füllkrug. “That feels modest now.” The Dortmund coach complained: “We were too passive.”
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games As a result, Leverkusen is now unbeaten
Even without the rested Florian Wirtz, who initially sat on the bench, the Bayer team controlled the action from the start. The young star was one of five professionals that coach Alonso rotated out of the starting eleven after the game at West Ham. The Dortmund team, which had only changed in one position, found it difficult to get into the game.
Because both teams showed too much respect and were afraid to take risks, the entertainment value of the game was limited for a long time. Although the guests continued to dominate the game, they were unable to create any chances to score despite all the advantages they had in possession of the ball. Dortmund’s attack efforts were even poorer. Bayer goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky remained almost unemployed in the first half hour.
Füllkrug scored in the final phase, but that wasn’t enough for BVB
It only became livelier shortly before halftime. This was primarily thanks to Bayer professional Alejandro Grimaldo. But both the Spaniard’s long-range shot (36′) and free kick (39′) went just over the goal. This also encouraged BVB to take a more aggressive approach. Marcel Sabitzer missed the best chance of the game so far when he missed Hradecky with a shot from 14 meters after Julian Ryerson’s preparatory work. It was in keeping with the mediocre level of the game that Ian Maatsen stepped over the ball during the follow-up attempt.
Even after the restart, controlled build-up play prevailed on both sides without much speed. Goal chances only arose from standard situations, such as Grimaldo’s free kick parried by BVB keeper Gregor Kobel (57′). In the 68th minute, the Dortmund goalkeeper cleared the ball against Nathan Tella in desperate need. But shortly before the end of the game, BVB striker Füllkrug struck ice cold. After Sabitzer’s cross, he volleyed the ball into the goal. “Dortmund’s goal comes as a surprise,” said Xhaka.
Things got turbulent in the final phase. After a scuffle between several players, Victor Boniface initially saw red, but referee Daniel Siebert took it back. And then Bayer equalized: Stanisic scored from a corner to tie the game late. “I didn’t expect it myself,” said the goalscorer: “I was overwhelmed.”