BERLIN – No Xabi, no problem. Even without coach Xabi Alonso on the touchline, Bayer Leverkusen remained unbeaten with a 5-1 Bundesliga win over Eintracht Frankfurt that stretched its record run without defeat to 48 games in all competitions.
Alonso was suspended for an accumulation of yellow cards, but he watched from the stands as his Bundesliga champions showed no tiredness from Thursday´s 2-0 win at Roma in the first leg of the Europa League semifinals.
“It was another perspective,” Alonso said, according to AP, after seeing Czech forward Adam Hlozek set up three goals. “We played very seriously. Of course the result is super, but the performance was very professional.”
Alonso rotated the team with just Edmond Tapsoba, Robert Andrich and Granit Xhaka keeping their places from Rome. Brazilian winger Arthur made his first start after recovering from a serious thigh injury.
Xhaka fired the visitors in front in the 12th minute with a brilliant strike from distance. Hugo Ekitike equalized, but that was as good as it got for Frankfurt with Omar Marmoush blazing over when he only had Leverkusen ´keeper Lukás Hrádecký to beat.
Patrik Schick powered a header past Kevin Trapp before the break and Exequiel Palacios made it 3-1 with a penalty after it.
Substitute Jeremie Frimpong capped a brilliant team move with the fourth goal in the 77th, and Victor Boniface completed the scoring with another penalty in the 89th. It was Leverkusen’s 82nd goal in the Bundesliga this season, a new club record.
Leverkusen hasn´t lost a game in any competition this season. Its 48-game unbeaten start is a record across Europe´s “big five” leagues.
Discussion about this post