Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen entered Monday’s tilt with different goals as the Bundesliga resumed its campaign following a two-month hiatus. The hosts needed three points to get closer to avoid relegation, while the visitors needed the win to move closer toward a potential UEFA Champions League. Leverkusen would be the only team standing once the referee blew the final whistle, though.
Peter Bosz’s men secured a comfortable 4-1 win at Weserstadion, and it seemed as if their victory was never in doubt. Kai Havertz bagged a double to carry his side, and the German international netted his brace at both ends of Theodor Gebre Selassie’s draw. Leverkusen sealed the deal in the second half thanks to late strikes from Mitchell Weiser and Karim Demirbay.
The game started quietly, and the first highlight came in the 28th minute when Havertz nodded home a cross from Moussa Diaby. That would begin a stretch of three goals across five minutes. Gebre Selassie evened things up for Bremen with a header from close range, and Havertz would restore the lead with another nodded effort past the keeper. The first half ended with a 2-1 lead for Leverkusen as Havertz set the tone of the game for the away side.
Bremen showed signs of a potential reaction early in the second half, but they couldn’t capitalize on their chances. Leverkusen added a third goal and Diaby was at the heart of it once again. The 20-year-old set up his second goal of the night when his delivery met Weiser. The midfielder nodded the ball past Jiri Pavlenka to make it 3-1.
Demirbay sealed the deal with a chip shot over Bremen’s keeper in the 78th minute to make it 4-1. The match ended with that score and even though it might have been an excessive differential, there is no question Leverkusen were the better side from start to finish.
Leverkusen’s next game will come at Monchengladbach on Saturday. Meanwhile, Bremen will play on the road as they will take on Freiburg the same day. Both matches will kick-off at 15:30 GMT.
Match Report
Werder Bremen: Pavlenka (4); Gebre Selassie (6), Veljkovic (6), Moisander (5), Friedl (4); M. Eggstein (5), Vogt (4) (Osako (-), 85’), Bargfrede (5) (J. Eggstein (5), 54’); Bittencourt (6) (Sargent (-), 71’)), Selke (5) (Woltemade (-), 71’), Rashica (6) (Bartels (-), 85’)
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky (5); Weiser (7), Tapsoba (6), S. Bender (5), Sinkgraven (5); Aranguiz (5) (Paulinho (-), 85’), Demirbay (7); Wirtz (5) (Bellarabi (6), 61’), Amiri (6) (Baumgartlinger (-), 71’), Diaby (7) (Bailey (6), 62’); Havertz (8) (Alario (-), 85’)
Goals: Havertz (0-1, 28’), Gebre Selassie (1-1, 30’), Havertz (1-2, 33’), Weiser (1-3, 61’), Demirbay (1-4, 78’)
Yellow cards: Moisander, Friedl (BRE); S. Bender (LEV)
Red cards: None
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