German Bundesliga defending champions, Bayer Leverkusen, has been forced to let go of a 35-game unbeaten run in the Bundesliga after losing 2-3 at home to RB Leipzig.
Leipzig achieved the feat following Belgium striker, Loïs Openda’s double goals and a Kevin Kampl header which left the hosts, Leverkusen’, who had led 2-0, stunned in the second game of a new season.
Bayer Leverkusen 2-3 RB Leipzig
Goals: 1-0 Frimpong 39′, 2-0 Grimaldo 45′ (assist: Wirtz), 2-1 Kampl 45’+7, 2-2 Openda 57′ (assist: Šeško), Openda 80′ (assist: Nusa)
During the game on Saturday, the atmosphere became tensed following the Leverkusen fans continuous chant of German champions as their heroes lined out at the BayArena for their first Bundesliga home game of the 2024/2025 season.
Soon after the game progressed, the hosts soon showed why they were top-dogs in 2023/24 in an incident-packed first half.
During first 45 minutes of the game, Edmond Tapsoba, worked goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi from close range before Piero Hincapié struck the crossbar.
Later on, Granit Xhaka then shot narrowly wide as Xabi Alonso orchestrated from the sideline.
Understanding the pressure attached to the game, Alonso’s opposite number, Marco Rose, was red-carded for protesting yet despite their early travails, Leipzig should have taken the lead here.
In a rare visiting attack, Openda put one on a plate for Benjamin Šeško, who angled a header wide.
The fright emboldened Bayer 04 and they took the lead when Jeremie Frimpong latched onto a slack Lukas Klostermann pass before giving El Chadaille Bitshiabu the slip and finishing neatly at the near post.
Now in full flow, the defending champions made it 2-0, Álex Grimaldo taking advantage of some smart play by Martin Terrier and Florian Wirtz.
As the game progressed, the visitors looked dead and buried, however, when an unmarked Kampl nodded in Benjamin Henrichs’ centre before the break, Die Roten Bullen were alive once more.
The non-stop action spilled into the second half with Matěj Kovář palming out a Kampl drive. The Leipzig warnings kept coming. Castello Lukeba had an effort ruled out for offside while Wirtz and Terrier offered the hosts some respite with respective efforts that threatened the away goal.
Living up to its name right from the off, the weekend’s Topspiel – or top game – was brought level after Šeško’s through pass found Openda and the Belgian – scorer of 24 Bundesliga goals last term – found a way through Kovář with a blast from the right.
Guilty of giving up a 2-0 lead for a second successive Bundesliga game, the Werkself dug deep as they sought the lead once more and Gulácsi was forced into a save to deny Terrier’s header.
Despite home efforts, the second-half spring in Leipzig’s step was undeniable. Scorer of a winning Red Bulls goal on his debut last week, Antonio Nusa turned provider here for Openda, whose powerful drive left Kovář well beaten.
The busy Gulácsi stopped efforts from Wirtz and then Grimaldo, as Leipzig held on to end Leverkusen’s lenghty unbeaten streak.
