Bayer Leverkusen made a fantastic start to the Champions League season. In the first round, Xabi Alonso’s team beat Dutch giants Feyenoord 4-0 away. The match was decided in the first half, and the second 45 minutes saw the team of the Spanish midfield champions fully control the result.
Cannonade in the first half
In the first round of the league phase, the German champion and Europa League finalist from the 2023/2024 season Bayer Leverkusen came to De Kuip. The team from Rotterdam also played in the final of a European cup relatively recently. In 2022, Feyenoord lost 0-1 to AS Roma in the match for the Conference League trophy after a goal by Nicolo Zaniolo. Both teams have already celebrated winning the cup this season. Bayer won the German Super Cup, while the Rotterdam team won the Dutch equivalent of this trophy.
Bayer opened the scoring in the 5th minute. German international Robert Andrich recovered the ball in the opponent’s half. He then passed it to Florian Wirtz, who converted a dozen or so meters sprint into a goal. It seems that Feyenoord’s German goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther could have done better on this occasion. shot from about 20 meters.
Florian Wirtz starts Thursday’s scoring in the UEFA Champions League! ⚽ Bayer Leverkusen leads in Rotterdam! 💪
📺 The match is on CANAL+ EXTRA2 and CANAL+ online: pic.twitter.com/PZDloSRMuM
— CANAL+ SPORT (@CANALPLUS_SPORT) September 19, 2024
The equaliser came just three minutes later. The goal was ultimately disallowed because Rami Zerrouki was offside when the pass was made. The visitors had more possession, but the hosts were able to create a threat under Lukas Hradecky’s goal. An example is a long-range shot by Hwang In-beom, a debutant in the Dutch team, in the 29th minute. The ball narrowly missed the post.
Bayer quickly fought back against Feyenoord. A minute later, Alejandro Grimaldo finished off a nice-looking multi-pass play. Jeremie Frimpong made a great pass to the Spaniard, who shot into the empty net from a few meters away. The excitement in the first half did not end there.
In the 32nd minute, Igor Paixão and Zerrouki had dangerous shots on goal, but neither of them made it 1:2. Then Bayer punished their opponents again. In the 36th minute, a goal was scored that was almost a copy of the one for 0:2. Frimpong passed the ball to Wirtz on the left side of the pitch. He scored from a few meters for the second time in this match. The German team impressed with fast attacks, accuracy of passes and taking advantage of opportunities.
Florian Wirtz for the second time! A great performance by the guests who feel at home in Rotterdam ⚽
📺 The match is on CANAL+ EXTRA2 and CANAL+ online: pic.twitter.com/6jUBsggqPS
— CANAL+ SPORT (@CANALPLUS_SPORT) September 19, 2024
The first half ended as it began. Edmond Tapsoba used Grimaldo’s precise cross. Wellenreuther made a mistake with the defender’s header. The goalkeeper didn’t catch the ball, so it flew in front of him and hit his leg. As a result… it went into the goal. Ultimately, the German was credited with an own goal.
This is not a goalkeepers’ round! 👀 Wellenreuther’s performance was poor and Feyenoord concedes their fourth goal in the first half! ⚽⚽⚽⚽
📺 The match against Bayer Leverkusen is on CANAL+ EXTRA2 and CANAL+ online: pic.twitter.com/BLBHekDduY
— CANAL+ SPORT (@CANALPLUS_SPORT) September 19, 2024
In the first half, the hosts had eight shots, while Bayer had six. The visitors’ advantage can be seen in shots on target (five for Bayer, two for Feyenoord).
Second half of the match
In the second half, Alonso’s team showed a lot of slackness. Examples include the loss of the ball by the “Aptekarzy” defenders in their own penalty area or a shot (although very imprecise) by Victor Boniface from almost halfway down the pitch. Bayer also gave the initiative to the hosts a little. In the 55th minute, Quinten Timber shot from a distance, but Hradecky saved it. They almost scored in the 65th minute. In a great “tangle of bodies”, as Dariusz Szpakowski would put it in a well-known computer game – a lot of confusion arose in the Bayer penalty area, but he had been offside earlier.
In the 73rd minute, Ayase Ueda again disallowed the Dutch goal for offside. Italian referee Davide Massa had no doubts about disallowing the goal. Aleix García shot dangerously into the opponent’s goal already in added time. Dávid Hancko was on guard, clearing the ball from just outside the goal line. For the hosts, this is their first defeat after 90 minutes this year and their sixth consecutive match in European cups without a win.. Home coach Brian Priske is still waiting for a win in the Champions League group/league stage, in his seventh game in the elite competition.
Bayer showed their great potential. Their chances of reaching the knockout stage of the Champions League for the first time in eight years have increased. In the first round of the competition, the German teams were impressive in their effectiveness. Bayern Munich defeated the goalkeeper of Dinamo Zagreb nine times, Bayer scored four goals, and Borussia Dortmund three. In the next round of the Champions League, Bayer will play at home against AC Milan, while Feyenoord will travel to Spain to play against Girona FC.
HERE ARE THE NEW RULES FOR THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Fot. screen X/ TNT Sports
