Status: 19.12.2021 5:49 p.m.
Leverkusen had recently lost a 2-0 lead twice – in Freiburg they tried more defensively. Shortly before the end, a joker punished the wall tactic, the SC is now third.
With the 2: 1 (1: 1), the Freiburg team ousted the Bayer team from third place and go into the short Christmas break on a Champions League place. Leverkusen follows one point behind and has to be annoyed that they have ruined an outstanding half-series with only one point from three games within a week.
Two great opportunities at the beginning
The Freiburg team wanted to seize the opportunity to overtake Leverkusen with raid-like attacks right from the start. Bayer goalkeeper Lukas Hrádecký had to defuse the first big chance after just one minute when the advanced central defender Nico Schlotterbeck appeared completely free in front of the goal. Seconds later, the defense of the guests was again completely unsorted, this time Lucas Höler failed after a dribble by Vincenzo Grifo from close range to Hrádecký.
Leverkusen did not get into the game at all at first, seemed lethargic, unfocused and completely overwhelmed when moving backwards – coach Gerardo Seoane had chosen the very low-risk line-up with three sixes in front of the back four and only three really offensively oriented players.
Grifo provocatively casual at the penalty kick
The hosts couldn’t keep up the high number of strokes from the early stages, but they could have taken the lead after 25 minutes with a right-footed shot by Christian Günter. The long overdue 1-0 was then taken care of by Grifo with an almost cocky penalty execution (33rd) after Jeremie Frimpong had fended off a cross from Weo-Yeong Jeong with an outstretched arm.
Grifo, who had recently awarded a decisive penalty against Hoffenheim, lifted the ball halfway up and centrally from the point almost in slow motion – Hrádecký almost had the opportunity to get up again after diving into the wrong corner and pick up the ball.
Even after this scene there was hardly anything playful from Leverkusen, but a standard brought them back into the action. Jonathan Tah kicked a corner kick from Kerem Demirbay back into the six-yard area in stoppage time in the first half, where Charles Aránguiz could freely head.
Seoane also brings Schick off the pitch
In the second round, the suspicion quickly arose that both teams preferred the point to the open visor. Freiburg had twice as many shots on goal, but were no longer as powerful. In return, the Breisgau defensive team managed to take Patrick Schick, who had 16 times in the first half of the season, almost completely out of the game.
A quarter of an hour before the end, Seoane got the Czech from the field – that was also proof that the guests didn’t want to go for the winning goal with all their might on this Sunday (December 19th, 21st).
Prank draws Joker Schade
The tactic almost seemed to work, but then two jokers from Christian Streich stabbed. U-21 international Kevin Schade, who had already drawn attention to himself several times in the first half of the season, pushed a cross from substitute Ermedin Demirovic from close range for the 2-1 winning goal over the line six minutes before the end. Leverkusen then had no answer to that – with four kilometers less mileage and 6:14 shots on goal, a draw would not have been deserved for the guests either.
Freiburg welcomes Bielefeld, Leverkusen welcomes Union Berlin
Bayer Leverkusen will receive Union Berlin on Saturday (9 January 2022; 3:30 p.m.). SC Freiburg is playing against Arminia Bielefeld at the same time.
Source: sportschau.de