Head coach Peter Bosz made one change to the side that drew 0-0 at VfL Wolfsburg: Summer signing Patrik Schick (AS Roma) started up front in place of Lucas Alario thus making his starting eleven debut for the Black and Reds. Leon Bailey, who returned to Leverkusen at the start of the week after self-isolation in Jamaica, took the place of Joel Pohjanpalo in the squad.
The 700th Bundesliga home game for the Werkself started a good two hours before kick-off with an extremely pleasing and visible and palpable change in and around the stadium: Fans were allowed back into the BayArena for a league match for the first time since the beginning of March. Ahead of kick-off, they witnessed the official send-off for Xaver Zembrod. The 54-year-old was assistant coach at Bayer 04 up to the summer and has recently joined Leipzig.
In front of 6,000 frenetic and singing fans, who always maintained social distance, it was Schick of all people almost gave the Werkself the lead. However, from a Moussa Diaby cross, the RB defender Dayot Upamecano just managed to clear the ball out of play to deny the former Leipzig player (4'). At the other end, the former Leverkusen player Kevin Kampl also just missed the target three minutes later from eleven yards out.
Leipzig's Emil Forsberg broke the deadlock after just under a quarter of an hour: Yussuf Poulsen picked out the Swede who fired the ball under the bar to make it 1-0. However, the hosts refused to be bowed on their home stage and quickly responded with an equaliser: Kerem Demirbay tried his luck from 20 yards out – and he put the ball into the back of the Leipzig net with the help of the underside of the bar (20').
The Werkself increasingly took control of the game after the equaliser with Lars Bender having the next goalscoring opportunity: The right back tried from a similar position to the goalscorer Demirbay but his effort went high over the target (35'). Four minutes later, a header from new signing Schick was kept out by an impressive save from Peter Gulasci.
While the visitors’ coach Julian Nagelsmann made a second change at the restart – Hee-chan Hwang replaced Kampl – Bosz kept faith with his starting line-up. Shortly after that, Sven Bender went off to be replaced by Jonathan Tah (58'). The Werkself almost took the lead a minute later: Karim Bellarabi set up Florian Wirtz but he hit the left-hand post.
After a brief period without chances, there was danger again on 74 minutes: Substitute Christopher Nkunku hit a free kick towards the top left corner of the net but Lukas Hradecky pulled off a great save. Hwang hit the rebound just wide of the target to the left. The Werkself fans celebrated for a second time three minutes after Leipzig had nearly scored: Schick impressively curled a shot in at the far post – but he was offside when he received the ball. That was the end of the action with the two top teams deservedly sharing the points in the 1-1 draw.
Next Saturday, 3 October (kick-off: 15.30 CEST) the Werkself are away to newly promoted VfB Stuttgart on matchday three. That is followed by the second international break of the season.
Bayer 04: Hradecky – L. Bender (Dragovic 90'), S. Bender (Tah 58'), Tapsoba, Sinkgraven – Aránguiz, Demirbay (Amiri 78’) – Bellarabi (Bailey 78'), Wirtz, Diaby – Schick
Leipzig: Gulacsi – Mukiele, Upamecano, Klostermann – Haidara, Kampl (Hwang 46'), Adams, Angelino – Olmo (Henrichs 86'), Poulsen (Sörloth 27'), Forsberg (Nkunku 66')
Goals: 0-1 Forsberg (14’), 1-1 Demirbay (20’)
Booked: Demirbay – Klostermann, Haidara, Adams
Referee: Harm Osmers (Hannover)
Attendance: 6,042 (Special match operation: sold out)
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