Leverkusen Extends Unbeaten Run to 50 Games, Eyes Historic Treble
Bayer Leverkusen’s remarkable unbeaten streak extended to 50 games with a dominant 5-0 victory over 10-man Bochum on Sunday. The triumph marked a significant milestone for Xabi Alonso’s side, who are now on the cusp of an unprecedented treble.
Bochum, who had previously defeated Leverkusen in May 2023, were unable to replicate their success as Leverkusen’s attacking prowess proved too much to handle. Five different players found the net for the league champions, showcasing their depth and versatility.
Robert Andrich, Leverkusen’s midfield maestro, expressed his aspirations for a historic treble. “We couldn’t have imagined how much the Bundesliga title meant to the club and the fans,” he said. “Next week, we’ll hold the trophy high in our own stadium, which will be emotional and beautiful. After that, we’re off to Dublin and Berlin, and we want to grab both titles and go on holiday with the triple in our backpacks.”
Within three days in late May, Leverkusen will face Atalanta in the Europa League final in Dublin before taking on second-division Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final.
Bochum’s hopes were dealt a blow early on when Felix Passlack was sent off for a last-man foul on Nathan Tella. With Florian Wirtz absent due to injury, Alonso opted for a two-striker formation with Victor Boniface and Patrik Schick leading the line. Both forwards found the net before halftime, with Schick scoring a superb first-touch finish and Boniface converting a penalty.
Amine Adli, who replaced Schick in the second half, headed in a corner to make it 3-0. Josip Stanisic, who had scored a crucial goal against Roma in the Europa League, added a fourth with three minutes remaining before setting up Alex Grimaldo’s goal in the final moments.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich, under the guidance of Thomas Tuchel, bounced back from their Champions League disappointment with a 2-0 victory over Wolfsburg. Despite making eight changes to the team that lost to Real Madrid, Bayern controlled the game from start to finish.
Lovro Zvonarek, making his first start, opened the scoring after just four minutes, while Leon Goretzka doubled the lead ten minutes later. Bayern’s dominance continued throughout the match, with Bryan Zaragoza having a goal ruled out for offside.
The win moved Bayern into second place in the Bundesliga, two points ahead of Stuttgart. Captain Manuel Neuer praised his team’s resilience after the setback against Real Madrid. “We were in control for over 90 minutes and got into the game well, that was crucial,” he said.
In other Bundesliga action, Hoffenheim boosted their chances of European qualification with a 6-0 thrashing of already-relegated Darmstadt. Ihlas Bebou and Maximilian Beier scored doubles, while Pavel Kaderabek and Ozan Kabak also found the net.
