Bayer Leverkusen kept up their chase for the top spot in the German Bundesliga with a 3-2 victory over hosts Borussia Dortmund on Friday, in the 16th round of the competition.
Leverkusen now has 35 points, securing second place, just one point behind leaders Bayern Munich, who will face Borussia Monchengladbach tomorrow, Saturday.
Meanwhile, Dortmund’s points remain at 25, placing them in sixth position.
Bayer Leverkusen took an early lead, with Nathan Tella scoring just 24 seconds into the match. His shot from the edge of the penalty area found the back of the net after Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel could not stop it.
In the 8th minute, Leverkusen doubled their advantage when Patrick Schick scored their second goal. Piero Hincapie crossed the ball from the left side, and Schick was perfectly positioned to head it past Kobel into the net.
Dortmund responded quickly in the 12th minute, as Jimmy Bello-Gittens scored their first goal, but Leverkusen quickly regained their two-goal lead in the 19th minute with Schick’s second goal of the game.
In the 79th minute, Serhou Guirassy pulled one back for Dortmund with a penalty, but Leverkusen held on to secure a 3-2 away victory.
Dortmund responded just four minutes later when Jimmy Bello-Gittens scored their first goal. He capitalized on a ball cleared by Leverkusen’s defence after an attack by Serhou Guirassy, and slotted it past Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.
Leverkusen quickly regained their two-goal advantage in the 19th minute, with Patrick Schick scoring once again. He met a cross from Jeremy Frimpong on the right side and put the ball into the net.
Leverkusen dominated possession and control of the game in the first half, which ended 3-1 in their favour. At the start of the second half, Dortmund showed a shift in their play, pushing forward in an attempt to reduce the deficit and at least equalize.
Guirassy led Dortmund’s charge in the second half, causing problems for Leverkusen’s defence, who struggled to contain him.
In the 79th minute, Dortmund were awarded a penalty, which Guirassy converted to make it 3-2, bringing them within one goal of Leverkusen. However, despite the goal, Leverkusen held firm and successfully maintained their lead until the final whistle, securing a 3-2 victory.
