The script for the game in Wolfsburg is quickly explained: Bayer 04, with eight changes to the side that beat FC Köln 3-2 in the DFB Pokal earlier in the week, lacked penetration in attack as did the hosts. VfL did put a header into the Leverkusen net in the opening stages of the game but the goalscorer Koulierakis was just offside from a free kick with the result that the goal was chalked off after the intervention of VAR. VfL did then have further chances with a header from Maximilian Arnold (33') and a double goalscoring opportunity for Tiago Thomas (42'), which were all saved by the Bayer 04 keeper Lukas Hradecky. The best chance for Leverkusen fell to Nordi Mukiele, who was on the end of a free kick from Aleix Garcia headed on by Piero Hincapie, but he was taken by surprise and unable to direct the ball with his head (22'). Wolfsburg had a good chance after the restart when Kilian Fischer crashed a shot against the bar (75'). Bayer 04 came close to scoring in added time with a solo run in the box from Florian Wirtz. Otherwise the two defences dominated proceedings. HERE is the match report.
Opinions after the game were similarly undecided as was the clash on the pitch before. "We wanted to take a wait and see approach with the target of getting a result at the end. We applied a lot of pressure in the last 20 minutes but overall the point isn’t good enough for us," said midfielder Robert Andrich. Xabi Alonso classed the result as "fair" and said: "We were determined but we also faced good opponents. It would be crazy to think we can go anywhere and simply win all the time. We didn't have many moments in the first half and in the second we did get closer to the danger zone." Asked about Saturday's match against Bayern Munich, the Spaniard said: "I'm not thinking much about the table, it will be a top match with a top atmosphere in front of our fans. The target is to win that game."
Ahead of the forthcoming top match against a team from Munich, the focus in Bild am Sonntag is on: "Bayer go into the title clash under mega pressure. An eight-point gap in the title race has never been made up so late in the season before." The Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger talks about a "blow in the title race" and mentions the moment when Bayer 04 hoped for the intervention of VAR for a penalty after a foul on Wirtz: "Referee Stegemann looked at the screen at the side of the pitch. It quickly became clear that Nordi Mukiele blocked an opponent from an offside position in the move – that made the penalty check superfluous." The Rheinische Post awarded top marks to key defender Jonathan Tah: "Was reliably solid in the centre of the back three and again and again decisively intervened in defence.”
Alonso was the source of some amazement with his rotation of eight players compared with the DFB Pokal match against the neighbours from along the Rhine. The Werkself coach explained why Wirtz came off the bench: "We've had four busy weeks in succession and after a big match over 120 minutes on Wednesday and his great commitment, we wanted to bring him on in the second half when we needed him. The many changes are not an excuse for me." Winter signing Mario Hermoso made his first start and the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger assessed his performance as follows: "Solid in challenges and positional play. A decent first start even if he didn't look quite so intimidating as in the two times when he came on as a substitute."
There were no winners in the clash between VfL and Bayer 04 and the match stats were also evenly balanced: The Black and Reds had a slight advantage in shots on goal with 15 to 13 chances as they did with a possession rate of 59.5%. And pass completion was also in favour of the Leverkusen players (85% compared with 77.7% for Wolfsburg) while the hosts had the higher number of challenges won (59.7%, with Bayer 04 it was 40.3%). Noteworthy: The double winners failed to score in the league for the first time since Bundesliga Matchday 9 on 1 November (0-0 against VfB Stuttgart). For Bayer 04 it is now 27 Bundesliga away games in succession without defeat.
You can't have more of a top match than when the team in second play the league leaders: Bayer 04 face Bayern Munich next Saturday, 15 February. The kick-off at the BayArena is at 18.30 CET.
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