Bayer Leverkusen is still on the spot in the league. A late goal prevented the long-awaited first home win. Werder Bremen remains unbeaten away from home.
Even a goal by Kerem Demirbay did not help Bayer Leverkusen out of the earnings crisis in the Bundesliga. The Werkself drew 1-1 (0-0) against Werder Bremen on Saturday and are stuck fourth from bottom in the table with five points.
The difficult situation for coach Gerardo Seoane has hardly improved before the upcoming international break. Demirbay’s (54th minute) goal worth seeing was compensated by Milos Veljkovic (82nd). In front of 30,210 spectators in the sold-out Bayarena, Leverkusen again missed their first home win of the season, while Bremen, on the other hand, continued their unbeaten away series and kept in touch with the top half of the table.
Coach Seoane had called for “the same discipline and compactness” before the game as in the Champions League group game against Atlético Madrid. For the Swiss, that was a key to the success of Leverkusen, who heeded the words of their coach. With the confidence of a win, the Werkself finally wanted to reconcile their own fans in the league.
The start was promising. Leverkusen interfered early on and tried to impose their offensive game on Bremen, who had not been beaten away from home until then. In the first half, a lot went through the two wingers Moussa Diaby and Jeremie Frimpong, who repeatedly put pinpricks with their lightning-fast attacks and were able to put pressure on the Bremen defense. Due to his convincing performance against Madrid, Frimpong was in the starting line-up for Adam Hlozek and was a decisive driving force in the Leverkusen game.
But because the guests also played along, a lively and intense first half developed – with clearer chances for the hosts. Diaby checked Bremen keeper Jiri Pavlenka for the first time after ten minutes, further warning shots from Patrik Schick (21st) and Tapsoba (29th) followed. Robert Andrich came closest to scoring with his crossbar header (35′) and Frimpong just before the break. A Diaby shot, parried by Pavlenka, fell right in front of the right winger, but he missed the goal from close range against the already beaten guest keeper.
However, the guests also had their chances against the high-ranking Leverkusen team, but the shots were often too harmless for Bayer goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, or went wide.
Despite many chances after the break, the game became a game of patience until Kerem Demirbay’s hour struck in the 54th minute. During a break in treatment for ex-Leverkusener Mitchell Weiser, Bayer used a slight overweight on the right side. Frimpong dusted off the ball, put it inside to Demirbay, who hit the left corner.
Bremen answered as often in the last quarter of an hour – with the help of Bayer keeper Hradecky. The keeper couldn’t clear a header from Füllkrug decisively, Veljkovic said thank you and scored from two meters.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
