It was the first game after an unprecedented series in the German Bundesliga. The German champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen remained unbeaten for 35 consecutive games – until RB Leipzig had the audacity on August 31 to really hurt the Werkself. From a 2-0 halftime lead by the Rhinelanders in the home game against the Saxons, it ended in a 2-3 defeat.
The pressing question after the international break was: Would the team of coach Xabi Alonso find its way back to its former invincibility in the next game? The Spaniard, a master in the art of game control as a player, urged his stars before the trip to Sinsheim for the duel with mid-table club TSG Hoffenheim to show a noticeably improved “mentality.” “We need to be aggressive, not passive, and work on our concentration to improve our level.”
The champion, who seemed a bit too erratic at the beginning of the new season, did not want to allow another “open day” after the hard-fought victories over VfB Stuttgart in the Supercup via penalty shootout and against Borussia Mönchengladbach (3-2) at the start of the Bundesliga season.
This time, the champion only wobbled a few times in the first half when the narrow lead was threatened by goals from Terrier (18th minute) and Boniface (30th) and a goal from Berisha (37th) before Leverkusen, with improved internal structure after the break, clearly decided the game in their favor with goals from Wirtz via penalty (72nd) and again Boniface (75th).
Ambition of the Werkself
“A good team,” said Swiss playmaker Granit Xhaka after the game, “doesn’t lose two times, three times, but gets back up.” Especially in the second half, Bayer played “much more aggressively” than before.
Two-time goalscorer Boniface, who was injured for four months last season, could have “even scored four goals” on that day, according to Xhaka. Overall, Bayer should not give their opponents “too many hopes” from now on unlike before. Boniface, thanks to his two goals plus one assist, was somewhat the man of the match and was especially relieved to have finally scored his first goals of the season. “I needed that.”
From the outset, the Werkself demonstrated their ambition to make up for lost ground as quickly as possible. The attackers Wirtz and Tella, alongside the Spanish playmaker Grimaldo, orchestrated attacks that the Hoffenheimers struggled to cope with. Already in the first minute, Florian Wirtz had the chance for 1-0 but went offside. Then, the shot from French newcomer Terrier only hit the side netting (3rd).
The signals for an offensive spectacle were set, especially since the Hoffenheimers were aware of the evident defensive weaknesses of the Rhinelanders. Initially, however, the champions dominated, taking a 1-0 lead through Terrier, his first goal for the new club – aided by VAR, as assist provider Boniface was deemed not offside by the video review despite the referee Schlager’s initial decision. Eleven minutes later, the Werkself extended their lead after Grimaldo’s magical through ball and Boniface’s subsequent low shot to make it 2-0.
Anyone who thought the Hoffenheimers would concede defeat early was mistaken. TSG took advantage of the spaces that Bayer, not having learned wisely from their damage in the game against Leipzig, left open for the opponent. The beneficiary was Mergim Berisha, who returned to the starting eleven for the first time since his cruciate ligament injury in November 2023, easily shaking off his opponent Hincapie before scoring to make it 1-2. However, the better chances continued to belong to Leverkusen, for whom Boniface and Grimaldo had further great opportunities for additional goals.
The break was used by Xabi Alonso to call for better organization among his professionals – just like in the championship year when his team won their games in a row with both patience and determination.
In Sinsheim, in front of a sold-out crowd of 30,150 spectators, the Rhinelanders had the video assistant’s help for the second time as referee Schlager identified a foul by Geiger on Grimaldo outside the penalty area, and Sören Storks in the Cologne video control room correctly assessed the offense inside the penalty area with the help of the television images.
The rest was taken over by the once again particularly lively Witz, whose powerful penalty kick into the left corner was too much for Baumann. When Boniface soon scored his second goal in this game with a long-range shot, the unequal duel was ultimately decided. The champions made a strong comeback with a particularly mature performance after the break and can now work on a new series.