Werkself lose final home game 4-2 against clinical Borussia Dortmund

Alonso made four changes to his team from last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Freiburg. Lukas Hradecky returned in goal for Matej Kovar, while Robert Andrich, Nathan Tella and Amine Adli came into the side for Aleix Garcia, Emiliano Buendia and Patrik Schick. Tah was allowed to captain the team in his last outing as a Leverkusen player at the sold-out BayArena, which saw Florian Wirtz have the first two chances of the game in the opening four minutes, while Alejandro Grimaldo and Andrich also had efforts in the initial stages.

Werkself lead but pegged back

The next moment of note came in the 19th minute when Grimaldo was fouled by Ramy Bensebaini in the box and referee Deniz Aytekin pointed to the spot. However, he reversed his decision on review, with the Dortmund defender playing the ball first. Tella was denied later by Gregor Kobel, but there was nothing the Swiss goalkeeper could do when Wirtz found Frimpong, who picked out the left corner to put the hosts ahead. The advantage didn’t last too long, though, as Julian Brandt levelled the game only two minutes later. Leverkusen came close to restoring their lead through Tella and Wirtz, only to be denied by two big Kobel stops. However, Borussia would take a half-time lead when Julian Ryerson found the far corner from the right of the box. That wasn’t the end of the first-half action, though, as Kobel again produced a brilliant stop and then the crossbar came to Dortmund’s rescue.

Leverkusen started the second period well again but without creating gilt-edge chances. Alonso introduced Schick and Hofmann for further firepower in attack in place of Adli and Tella, while Exequiel Palacios came on for Andrich. A Grimaldo cross from the left was missed by both Edmond Tapsoba and Piero Hincapie as an equaliser failed to come.

BVB’s quickfire double, Hofmann’s consolation

Dortmund were then clinical at the other end, with Brandt playing in Karim Adeyemi, who put away the visitors’ third on 73 minutes. They had a fourth only moments later when Serhou Guirassy drove towards the box after a turnover in midfield and fired into the bottom corner. The shot count at that point was 16-9 in Leverkusen’s favour, but they found themselves 4-1 behind. Schick thought he’d reduced the deficit on 90 minutes but was offside before Garcia’s pass. The BayArena could cheer one last time this season, though, when Wirtz’s stylish outside-of-the-boot cross picked out Hofmann to head in.

Final game in Mainz

The Werkself’s last match of 2024/25 is in Mainz next Saturday. All games on Matchday 34 kick off at 3.30pm CEST.

Match stats:

Bayer 04: Hradecky - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie (Arthur 78') - Frimpong, Andrich, Xhaka (Garcia 78'), Grimaldo - Tella (Hofmann 59'), Wirtz, Adli (Schick 59')

Dortmund: Kobel - Süle, Anton, Bensebaini - Ryerson (Couto 87'), Nmecha (Sabitzer 46'), Groß (Özcan 82'), Svensson - Brandt (Gittens 87'), Adeyemi (Can 74') - Guirassy

Goals: 1-0 Frimpong (31'), 1-1 Brandt (33'), 1-2 Ryerson (44'), 1-3 Adeyemi (73'), 1-4 Guirassy (77') , 2-4 Hofmann (90'+2)

Yellow cards: Groß, Nmecha

Referee: Deniz Aytekin

Attendance: 30,210 at the BayArena (sold out)