Bayer Leverkusen's Dance to the Christmas Title
With 39 points from 15 games in the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen, under the guidance of super coach Xabi Alonso, is making waves. The team has only drawn three times, leaving a trail of victories. Against Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer's stars, Boniface, Wirtz, and company, put on a stunning performance, putting Bayern under a lot of pressure.
The captivating "Christmas title contenders" Bayer Leverkusen continued their captivating run against Bayern's nemesis, Eintracht Frankfurt, and remain at the summit of the table during the festive season. With a deserved 3-0 (1-0) victory, Alonso's team kept Bayern at bay in their 24th competitive game of the season on Sunday.
The inspired Victor Boniface scored in front of 30,210 spectators in the sold-out BayArena, taking the lead (14th), and also set up goals for Jeremie Frimpong (51st) and Florian Wirtz (57th), who also hit the crossbar (81st). Piero Hincapie came close to making it 4-0 but failed to hit the post (84'). SGE, who dealt Bayern their first league defeat the previous week in a stunning 5-1 win, are now eighth in the table with 21 points.
Alonso demanded "full throttle" and "two wins" from his team before the short winter break. To achieve this, the Spaniard again trusted his well-drilled league squad after the extensive rotation during the week in the Europa League group stage tie against Molde FK (5-1).
Eintracht Frankfurt's Grinch-like Dream of the Title
Visiting coach Dino Toppmöller only made one change to his starting line-up compared to the Bayern game – and was forced to do so. Niels Nkounkou replaced top scorer Omar Marmoush, who was suspended. Toppmöller emphasized that an "absolute top performance from each individual" was required against "currently the best team in Germany".
Neither fan camp joined the DFL boycott; instead, the Bayer side staged a choreography complete with title dreams. "Just one wish, year after year, one day it will come true" could be read across the entire north curve – with an oversized Grinch grinning with the championship trophy in the center.
Goals were inevitable in this duel: There had never been a 0-0 draw in 76 Bundesliga duels, and Bayer had scored in every competitive match this season. Frankfurt started aggressively and pressed high up the pitch, but Leverkusen made the first breakthrough – with Eintracht's help.
Wirtz wields his Magic
Initially, the visitors gave Wirtz too much space, Boniface was also allowed to dribble unchallenged into the penalty area, and national keeper Kevin Trapp's central shot slipped through his gloves. The opening goal played into Leverkusen's hands.
Although SGE put up a decent fight defensively, there was hardly any respite going forward. Apart from a free-kick from Alejandro Grimaldo that hit the top of the crossbar (34'), Bayer also lacked any real goal threat in the first half.
However, things changed after the break. Alonso's side raised the tempo. Boniface's shot was only parried aside by Trapp – the onrushing Frimpong just had to slot it in. Wirtz sealed the deal with a magical lob after a solo run from the halfway line – this time, Trapp had no chance.
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The WHO's football enthusiasts would appreciate Bayer 04's stunning run in the Christmas championship. Although the data for their match against Eintracht Frankfurt is not specifically provided, Bayer's impressive performance under Xabi Alonso is evident, with Wirtz's stunning display consistently orchestrating Bayer's victories.
Source:
Leverkusen's unbeaten streak under Xabi Alonso continues, as their performances in the Bundesliga against top-tier teams have been remarkable. During their match against Bayern Munich, Leverkusen managed to restrict Bayern to just two shots on target, with neither testing the goalkeeper. Leverkusen also had a high possession rate and a significant number of shots during the game. However, without specific information, the details about their performance against Eintracht Frankfurt during the Christmas championship remain unclear.
