What the papers say: 'Fascinating pace and certainty'

"It was a convincing win for the Rhinelanders against a battling Schalke side," reports the Kölnische Rundschau. Bayer 04 set course for victory early on with the opening goal. "From a Bailey corner, Thiaw was put under heavy pressure from Leverkusen's Aleksandar Dragovic and turned the ball into his own net with his head and shoulder," was the description of the first goal.

"Richly deserved" thanks to "high tempo"

"The next minutes were not to the liking of the hosts with Bayer besieging Schalke in their own penalty area with the next goal looking likely – but it did not come," says the Süddeutsche Zeitung about the course of the game. "Leverkusen moved the ball with fascinating speed and certainty (…)."

A similar analysis of the whole match is to be found in kicker. "Leverkusen approached the game from the start with high tempo football and quick moves, pressed Schalke back deep into their own half and produced a polished performance," writes the football journal. Overall it was a "richly deserved win for Leverkusen." Because: "Schalke were not able to live with the high tempo of the Werkself."

Schalke improve, Werkself remain more dangerous

The Frankfurter Neue Presse points out the improved Schalke performance after half-time. "Schalke played better after the break," reports the newspaper, "but Bayer had the clearer goalscoring opportunities."

The Werkself used one to make it 2-0: "Julian Baumgartlinger settled the result from another corner taken by the impressive Leon Bailey," writes the EXPRESS.

"Outstanding": Excellent critique for Baumgartlinger

The performance of the goalscorer Baumgartlinger is highlighted throughout the press. The individual analysis in the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger gives him the best marks of all the Werkself players. The Austrian "did an outstanding job of winning challenges and the ball (…)."

There is even a top mark from the Rheinische Post. "He did what he is on the pitch for and what he has been achieving in outstanding quality for weeks: Winning challenges and distribution," was in the individual assessment. "And also his brand-new characteristic as a dominant header of the ball was to be seen again."

"The big winner of the weekend"

The BILD describes the rest of the game as follows: "Schalke were suddenly awarded a penalty after Sinkgraven's foul on Serdar – Hradecky keeps out Skrzybski (72’),” the tabloid reports. "The goal from Schick (79') dispelled any remaining doubts."

The final assessment in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung must be music to the ears of all Werkself fans: "Bayer Leverkusen are thereby the biggest winners of the weekend, the team are now second in the table one point behind FC Bayern."