Alonso made two changes to his team from the 2-0 win away at Augsburg last weekend as Exequiel Palacios and Schick came in for Robert Andrich and Martin Terrier, who both dropped to the bench. After the good news that Piero Hincapie had signed a new contract until 2029, there was a minute’s silence ahead of kick-off for the victims of Friday’s shocking attack at the Christmas market in Magdeburg. The action then commenced at the BayArena with the Werkself dominant from the start and early chances for Wirtz and Edmond Tapsoba.
Freiburg started to find their feet as the game wore on and things were even as chances remained at a premium in the opening period. That was until Wirtz was taken down in the box by Ritsu Doan and the referee pointed to the spot with half an hour on the clock. However, Wirtz was denied from 12 years by Noah Atubolu. It looked like the game would remain goalless going into half-time until Wirtz played Schick through and the Czech striker produced a cool lob to open the scoring in added time.
The second half saw Bayer 04 quickly double their advantage when Wirtz turned finisher with a lovely dummy before firing inside the near post from left of goal. The cushion lasted only a couple of minutes until Vincenzo Grifo got one back for Freiburg. The lively Wirtz struck the crossbar shortly after as the rain got heavier at the BayArena before he produced a pinpoint cross for Schick to head home and make it 3-1. The last two goals of the evening and indeed the year again belonged to Schick as he bagged the second four-goal haul of his Leverkusen career.
That’s the end of the football in the club’s 120th anniversary year. The players and staff will now go and enjoy their well-deserved winter break. They’ll be back in action for 2025 with a friendly against Rot-Weiß Oberhausen on Sunday, 5 January (12pm CET), before the first competitive fixture of the new year away at Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Friday, 10 January (8.30pm).
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Hradecky - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie (Belocian 83') - Frimpong (Arthur 80'), Palacios, Xhaka, Grimaldo (Mukiele 80') - Tella (Terrier 69'), Wirtz - Schick (Garcia 80')
Freiburg: Atubolu - Kübler (Rosenfelder 75'), Ginter, Lienhart, Günter - Eggestein (Höfler 85'), Osterhage (Sildillia 75') - Doan (Röhl 58'), Höler, Grifo - Gregoritsch (Adamu 75')
Goals: 1-0 Schick (45'+1), 2-0 Wirtz (51'), 2-1 Grifo (55'), 3-1 Schick (67'), 4-1 Schick (75'), 5-1 Schick (77')
Yellow cards: Schick - Kübler, Röhl
Referee: Tobias Stieler
Attendance: 30,210 (sold out) at the BayArena
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