The Werkself review #VfBB04: Wirtz & Co up game and maintain streak

Summary: Game of two halves

The home team attacked from the off, the drives forward only interrupted by Amine Adli's shot off the post in the eighth minute. Possession and the tackling stats were even at this stage, but VfB were far more often in front of the opposing goal - and were rewarded with the deserved 39th minute opener by Chris Führich. The Werkself went into half-time narrowly in arrears. The league leaders from Leverkusen then came out fighting and were rewarded with an equaliser from Florian Wirtz just two minutes into the second period. Granit Xhaka then missed out on handing his side the lead two minutes later when his shot cannoned off the inside of the post. Bayer 04 were now well on top, but the leaders failed to finish off any one of a number of pacey counter-attacks. In the end, it finished as a 1-1 draw. Read the match report here.

Reaction: "Draw is the right result"

Captain Lukas Hradecky: "Stuttgart were better in the first half, it was our worst half of the first half of the season. They're a top team, we'll take the point. We have to be satisfied." Defender Jonathan Tah felt the same: "Stuttgart started powerfully and with a lot of possession, we gave them too much space. We then did much better in the second half and managed to impose ourselves on the game. We played against very in-form opponents, and away from home. The result is OK."

Boss Xabi Alonso spoke of an "interesting game for the spectators with two very different halves. There were a lot of negative things from us in the first half and a lot of positive things in the second. At first, we weren't well organised and not aggressive enough, then things went better when we started to play our own game. The draw is a fair result."

What the papers say: "A turbocharged clash"

Bild newspaper: „Dieser Spitzen-Knaller hat gehalten, was er versprochen hat! Was war das bitte für ein geiler Kick? Ein Super-Turbo-Duell!“ Die Rheinische Post betitelte den Auftritt der Stuttgarter als „bärenstark“, die Werkself habe sich den Punkt am Ende aber ebenfalls „verdient“. Der kicker sah ein „rasantes Topspiel“ und bezeichnete den Ausgleichstreffer von Florian Wirtz als „Paukenschlag nach dem Seitenwechsel“.

"This top clash delivered what it promised! What a great game that was! A super turbocharged clash!" The Rheinische Post labelled Stuttgart's performance as "very strong," but the Werkself also "deserved" the point in the end. kicker saw a "fast-paced top match" and described Florian Wirtz's equaliser as a "cracker after the break".

Top man: Towering presence in goal

The standout player in this top match was Werkself goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky. The captain impressed with numerous saves, including a one-on-one against VfB marksman Serhou Guirassy in the 25th minute with his foot - a great performance from the Finn in his 275th Bundesliga appearance! The Rheinische Post gave Hradecky top marks for his performance, while kicker included the Leverkusen goalkeeper in its "Team of the Matchday".

Stats: Plenty of shots

Bayer 04 remain undefeated in their 22nd competitive match this season (19 wins, 3 draws) - only twice in German professional football has a team started a season with a better record: the Werkself themselves as a second division team in the 1978/79 promotion season (23 games) and Hamburger SV in 1982/83 (24). Meanwhile, Bayer 04 are now undefeated in Stuttgart 12 times in a row - no other club in professional football has currently gone as long without defeat away to a particular opponent.

Some more impressive stats: the teams loosed off a combined total of 40 shots, 18 of them from Leverkusen.

Up next: Three home games before Xmas

Following their last away match of the 2023 calendar year, the Werkself contest three more home games before Christmas . The Europa League clash with Molde FK kicks off on Thursday, 14 December at 6.45 pm. Three days later, the Bundesliga meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt gets underway at 5.30 pm. The year comes to a close with the game against VfL Bochum on Wednesday, 20 December at 8.30 pm (all times CET).