Florian Wirtz scored after 84 seconds as Bayer Leverkusen went 38 video games unbeaten in all competitions with a 3-2 win in Freiburg on Sunday.
Leverkusen's seventh win within the competitors saved them ten factors away from serial champions Bayern Munich with eight video games to play of their quest for the membership's first-ever Bundesliga crown.
“It was a very good efficiency, a deserved victory. It’s not simple to win in Freiburg, however we are going to proceed,” Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso informed DAZN earlier than praising the efficiency of his playmaker Wirtz.
“It's not simply the objective he scored, he has a brilliant sport. He has actual high quality and I’m very pleased along with his growth.”
Wirtz, considered one of Leverkusen's most necessary gamers this season, obtained issues shifting in model. The German striker got here in from the left and fired an ideal shot along with his proper foot, netting his seventh league objective of the season.
The early objective surprised Freiburg, who got here into the match recent from a 5-0 thrashing of West Ham within the Europa League, with Leverkusen dealing with the Londoners within the quarter-final of the competitors subsequent month.
Nonetheless, Freiburg responded towards the run of play, with Japanese striker Ritsu Doan neatly exchanging passes with Lucas Hoeler to drill a low shot previous the blind Lukas Hradecky.
Nonetheless, Leverkusen took the lead once more earlier than half-time, with Adam Hlozek tapping into an empty internet after a mistake by Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu.
Patrik Schick as soon as once more put the highlight on a convincing victory for Alonso's staff, with a sensational end to a scintillating Leverkusen counter-attack.
Jeremy Frimpong's cross from the precise was caressed into the highest nook by the Czech striker, who was Leverkusen's hero on Thursday with two stoppage objectives towards Qarabag in Europe.
Yannik Keitel pulled one again for Freiburg however the harm had already been performed, leaving the hosts in ninth place and European qualification slipping away.
Within the closing sport of the weekend, Borussia Dortmund got here up late towards Eintracht Frankfurt, however finally secured a 3-1 win to maintain RB Leipzig some extent forward within the race for fourth place.
Dortmund, who defeated PSV Eindhoven within the Champions League final week to arrange a quarter-final showdown towards Atletico Madrid, fell behind in entrance of the Yellow Wall to a breakaway in Frankfurt from former hero Mario Goetze.
However the house staff hit again earlier than half time by means of Karim Adeyemi.
Mats Hummels' diving header from Julian Brandt's free-kick put Dortmund forward for the primary time within the 81st minute, with Emre Can's injury-time penalty offering the shine.
“We have now now received our final 4 matches and are going into the worldwide break with a significantly better feeling than two weeks in the past,” mentioned Hummels.
“We’re all very pleased to be within the quarter-finals of the Champions League, however in fact we’re behind within the Bundesliga.”
AFP
