Bayer Leverkusen closed the gap on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich to just three points after securing a 3-1 victory over struggling VfL Bochum at the BayArena on Friday, March 28th. Second-half goals from Victor Boniface and Amine Adli proved decisive in a tougher-than-expected encounter.
Leverkusen, looking to bounce back from recent defeats, took the lead in the 20th minute when Aleix Garcia drilled home a shot from outside the box. Bochum, despite recent wins against Bayern and Dortmund, responded quickly, with Felix Passlack equalizing six minutes later after Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky parried an initial shot.
The home side, starting with strikers Victor Boniface and Patrik Schick in the absence of the injured Florian Wirtz, regained the lead on the hour mark. Boniface was left unmarked at the far post and kneed the ball over the line for his eighth league goal of the season.
Leverkusen had chances to extend their lead, with Jeremie Frimpong narrowly missing after a counter-attack and Boniface having a goal disallowed for offside. Amine Adli eventually secured the three points in the 87th minute with a fine finish following an assist from Exequiel Palacios. Granit Xhaka almost added a spectacular fourth in stoppage time, hitting both posts with a single shot.
“It was really a tough game despite this result,” Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said. “Bochum were disciplined, well-organised. It may not have been a super-spectacular performance but we remained patient, stayed calm and if we do that we will get a chance for the next seven games. We will try to win them and see what happens.”
The win lifts second-placed Leverkusen to 59 points with seven games remaining. Bayern Munich, on 62 points, host St Pauli on Saturday. Bochum remain in 16th place, occupying the relegation playoff spot. Leverkusen now turn their attention to Tuesday’s German Cup semi-final against third-tier Arminia Bielefeld.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
