Berlin (AP) - Bayer Leverkusen has continued its high flight in the Bundesliga with a lot of effort and is keeping up with the top teams after a last-minute goal.
At 1. FC Union Berlin, the team of coach Peter Bosz prevailed after a long fight with 3: 2 (1: 1) and was very flattering and celebrated their fifth success in the past six league matches. The upward trend of the brave Unioners, however, was initially stopped again with the fifth home defeat this season.
Seasoned Christian Gentner (7th minute) and Marius Bülter (87th) scored for Union. National players Kai Havertz (22nd), Moussa Diaby (83rd) and Karim Bellarabi (90th + 4th) were successful on matchday 22 and turned the game around in the turbulent final phase. Already on March 4, Leverkusen welcomes the Berliners to the next duel in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup.
Driven by the noisy fans in the stadium at the Alte Försterei, which was sold out again with 22,012 spectators, Union started aggressively and with a lot of pressure. After Sebastian Andersson's first big chance (3rd) was still unused, Gentner made it better with a long-range shot. Bayer goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky had no chance in the massive attempt from 18 meters into the corner. In the opening minutes, Berlin had more options than in the entire first leg, which deservedly went 2-0 to Leverkusen.
A week after their 4: 3 win against Borussia Dortmund, the guests seemed quite surprised by the offensive urge of the Iron. After reaching the cup quarter-finals and winning last match day at Werder Bremen (2-0), coach Urs Fischer had changed the team in only one position. Vice captain Marvin Friedrich returned to the defense network after serving a yellow card suspension. This looked really fragile for the first time when Havertz prevailed against Neven Subotic and tipped the ball into the goal to equalize. Shortly before the break, Andersson had the opportunity to make it 2-1 for Berlin.
After half time, Bosz used the recovered Charles Aranguiz, who had not been used in the second half of the season due to a calf injury. Playful highlights were rare and the encounters became more and more torn. Leverkusen's fans caused trouble. Pyrotechnics were burned several times in the guest block and even rockets were fired in the direction of the field. Referee Harm Osmers sent both teams off the pitch for almost three minutes, the match was interrupted several times.
Although the Berliners had clear advantages in possession of the ball in the final phase, they still fell behind. Bülter made up for the equalization in the heated and hectic minutes shortly before the end. Bellarabi set the acclaimed closing point in injury time.
Squad Union
Schedule Union
Information about the encounter at bundesliga.de
Squad Bayer Leverkusen
Schedule Bayer Leverkusen