Leverkusen beats Stuttgart in seven-goal thriller
Patrik Schick left it until the fourth minute of stoppage time to net the winning goal for Bayer Leverkusen in a breathless 4-3 victory over Stuttgart that cuts Bayern Munich's lead atop the Bundesliga standings to six points.
Having trailed heading into the 88th minute, Angelo Stiller's own-goal levelled the contest before Schick settled the seven-goal thriller in second-half stoppage time.
Ermedin Demirovic fired Stuttgart into a 14th-minute lead, the Bosnian the quickest to react to Nick Woltemade's strike that was saved by Lukas Hradecky.
The host side doubled its advantage three minutes after the break through Woltemade, but Jeremie Frimpong pulled one back for Leverkusen after Stuttgart failed to clear its lines amid a sustained spell of pressure by its opponent.
Stuttgart restored its two-goal lead just after the hour when Hradecky saved a Demirovic shot, only for the ball to bounce off Granit Xhaka and into his own net.
But Leverkusen hit back yet again when Piero Hincapie rifled into the roof of the net to give Alonso's side renewed hope of battling back in the contest.
It did just that two minutes from time when Stiller stuck out a leg and deflected Victor Boniface's cross into the box beyond Alexander Nubel.
Schick then completed Leverkusen's thrilling late surge in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, brilliantly glancing Frimpong's teasing delivery home with a fine header to seal a huge victory.
