Bayer Leverkusen’s incredible run through all competitions continues: Eintracht Frankfurt wasn’t even able to stop the upcoming champions – it was the 48th competitive game without a single defeat.
In Leverkusen’s 5-1 (2-1) win in Frankfurt on Sunday (May 5th, 2024), Granit Xhaka (12th minute) initially scored for the guests before Hugo Ekitiké equalized (32nd). Patrick Schick put Bayer back in the lead in the 44th minute, Exequiel Palacios made it 3-1 with a penalty kick in the 58th minute, Jeremy Frimpong made it 4-1 in the 77th minute, before Victor Boniface in the 89th minute again made the final score 5-1 with a penalty.
“We had a lot of control”Xhaka then analyzed on DAZN. “We wanted to stay undefeated, we did that again – and we are very close to achieving something very special.”
It was already known before kick-off that no team in the Bundesliga could rely on Leverkusen concentrating on the Europa League and lacking even a hint of motivation – and it proved true right from the start in this duel.
Bayer rotation in eight positions
Bayer coach Two top stars, Alex Grimaldo and Florian Wirtz, weren’t even in the squad yet. But the Leverkusen team started extremely dynamically and with a lot of forward momentum, even with the eight new guys in the starting line-up.
In the 10th minute, Granit Xhaka sent out the first warning with a long-range shot, but the Eintracht defense didn’t get it. Two minutes later, the Swiss midfield leader again had too much space in the backcourt and sent the ball into the right corner from 22 meters with a perfect shot to make it 1-0.
Palacios only hits Pacho on the line
The outstanding Xhaka almost scored the visitors’ second goal after 20 minutes, but after a pass to Jonas Hofmann and his pass to Exequiel Palacios, the Argentinean only hit Frankfurt’s William Pacho on the goal line from close range. Hofmann could have added more after that, but he hesitated too long before finishing (30′).
For a long time there was little that was compelling offensively from Frankfurt, but Eintracht equalized almost out of nowhere: Hugo Ekitiké headed a buttery-soft cross from Fares Chaibi perfectly against the direction of Lukáš Hrádecký to make it 1-1 (32nd).
Marmoush negligent, Schick consistent
Three minutes before the break, Frankfurt actually had to add more, but Omar Marmoush almost arrogantly missed a dream pass from Ekitiké into the depths because he wanted to put the ball under the crossbar in a tiktok-ready way – but he missed this plan by a meter.
The penalty almost came in return because Patrick Schick took a much more straightforward approach: he headed a cross from Adam Hlosek into the Frankfurt goal without any problems to take the lead again (44′).
Nkounkou punishes his own team
In the second half, the hosts pushed the pace a little more, but Chaibi and Marmoush were unable to take advantage of their opportunities. Then Frankfurt beat itself again, similar to last time against Bayern. In Munich, Robin Koch had caused a penalty with a pointless use of an elbow against Thomas Müller, this time Niels Nkounkou held his opponent Nathan Tella by the jersey, even though he had actually just left the danger zone and out wanted to run out of the penalty area – Palacios confidently converted to make it 3-1.
Frankfurt then continued to try to improve the result, but the decisive difference that late afternoon was effectiveness: Eintracht simply couldn’t get into really dangerous final situations, but Bayer countered brilliantly: After Piero Hincapié won the ball, Jonas Hofmann sent on Hlosek 13 minutes before the end the trip, which crossed perfectly to Frimpong: This 4:1 would have deserved an entry in every textbook on modern switching behavior.
But Frankfurt’s suffering didn’t end there: After Ansgar Knauff fouled Frimpong, referee Christian Dingert gave the next penalty after VAR intervention: Boniface, who had started the scene with a solo, was allowed to make it 5-1 under this new gala.
Frankfurt in Gladbach, Leverkusen in Bochum
In the fight for Europe, Frankfurt is now visiting relegation candidate Borussia Mönchengladbach (Saturday, May 11, 24, 3:30 p.m.), Leverkusen has to prove itself a day later in Bochum (Sunday, May 12, 24, 7:30 p.m.). Already on Thursday (9.5.24, 9 p.m.) Leverkusen will meet AS Roma in the semi-final second leg of the Europa League and wants to make it to the final clear.