Leverkusen keeps winning habit at Dortmund
The Bundesliga returned from its winter break with a bang as Bayer Leverkusen left Borussia Dortmund with all three points after a pulsating 3-2 victory.
The visitors went ahead inside 25 seconds after Nathan Tella smashed home a superb opener as Dortmund started half asleep, setting the tone for what was to come.
Seven minutes later, the hosts were down by two as Patrick Schick tapped home after a a lightning break from the defending league champion.
Jamie Gittens brought Dortmund back into the match with a goal on 12 minutes as things started to settle for the home side, but it was Schick once more that spoiled the party five minutes later, netting his second to restore Leverkusen's two-goal cushion.
Dortmund pushed hard in the second half to find a way back, presumably after a stern talking to from coach Nuri Sahin at the break, who saw his men dominate possession for much of the second period.
However, chance after chance was repelled with Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky producing a superb performance to deny the hosts on more than a few occasions.
Dortmund did eventually find a way past the Finnish keeper in the 79th minute when Serhou Guirassy scored from the penalty spot. Edmond Tapsoba cut off Julien Duranville's run into the box, with the referee awarding the spot-kick after a VAR review.
That set up a nervous finish for Xabi Alonso's men, but they held on to claim a vital victory and start 2025 with a vital win, inflicting Dortmund with its first defeat at Signal Iduna Park this season in the process.
Alonso believed that his team's showing highlighted its development as a squad throughout a campaign that started poorly.
"We are very satisfied with the performance and with the win," the Leverkusen coach said.
"To come here and win with such a serious performance means that our development is important. A good start to the year."
Leverkusen has now won six consecutive Bundesliga games, while also extending its club-record unbeaten away league record to 25 matches, winning 19 and drawing six.
"We did the work in the beginning [of the game] and then we controlled it," Alonso added.
"We did it well with the ball, but we also did it really well without the ball. We did not concede much.
"It is a development of our game that we can compete in this way, to play here with this discipline against a top, top team in Europe."
