Head coach Xabi Alonso made two changes following the 5-2 win over Heidenheim on Saturday: Matej Kovar replaced Lukas Hradecky in goal, with Jonathan Tah therefore taking over the captain's armband, while Robert Andrich was recalled in place of Aleix Garcia. Right from kick-off, the Werkself took command and attacked with pressure and enthusiasm. In only the second minute, Florian Wirtz fired the first warning shot from a tight angle.
The next incident came in the sixth minute, when referee Mykola Balakin pointed the spot after Salzburg defender Samson Baidoo blocked a shot from Patrik Schick with his arm. Wirtz stepped up and neatly tucked away the penalty into the bottom right corner (8'). Just two minutes later, the Bayer 04 fans were celebrating a second goal. A free kick from Alejandro Grimaldo went under the FCS wall and into the net - 2-0 (10')! The visitors from Austria suffered another blow shortly after as striker Karim Konaté was forced off with an injury, Dorgeles Nene replacing him (16'). The Werkself continued to dominate proceedings and created further good chances for Grimaldo (26') and Granit Xhaka (27'), but it was again Wirtz who was next to find the net. The playmaker dribbled through the Salzburg defence before slotting in to make it 3-0 (31'), and that's how it stayed until half-time.
Salzburg made three changes at half-time, with no changes for the Werkself. Schick had the first chance after the restart but narrowly missed from Jeremie Frimpong’s cross (52’).
Bayer 04 went one better on the hour, when Frimpong’s pinpoint cross found Schick, who tapped in to make it four (61’). Wirtz only just miscued from a centre-right position about 90 seconds later. Alonso then brought on Garcia, Nathan Tella and Arthur for Exequiel Palacios, Frimpong and Piero Hincapie. Arthur made his Champions League debut, while Garcia scored shortly after coming on. The Spaniard found the net after a Wirtz pass to make it five (72’), scoring his first Champions League goal. Two further debutants came on when Artem Stepanov and Francis Onyeka took over from Schick and Wirtz. Like Arthur, the two U19 players made their maiden Champions League appearance and slotted into Leverkusen’s convincing display. The Werkself went on to celebrate a home victory that was never in danger.
Two away matches now await the Black and Reds, who take on 1. FC Union Berlin on Saturday 30 November at 15:30 CET and FC Bayern in the DFB Cup last 16 at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday 3 December at 20:45.
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Kovar - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie (Arthur 67') - Frimpong (Tella 67'), Palacios (Garcia 67'), Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo - Wirtz (Onyeka 76'), Schick (Stepanov 73')
FC Salzburg: Schlager - Terzic (Guindo 46'), Baidoo, Clark (Bistrup 46'), Diambou (Capaldo 74'), Konaté (Nene 16'), Gourna-Douath (Bajcetic 46'), Gloukh, Yeo, Dedic, Piatowski
Goals: 1-0 Wirtz (8' pen), 2-0 Grimaldo (11'), 3-0 Wirtz (31'), 4-0 Schick (61'), 5-0 Garcia (72')
Yellow cards: Andrich / Yeo
Referee: Mykola Balakin (Ukraine)
Attendance: 29,211 (home section sold out) at the BayArena
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