Carles Martínez made six changes to the team that lost 3-0 at Hoffenheim on Sunday. Janis Blaswich got his chance in goal in place of Mark Flekken, while Vázquez, Robert Andrich, Hofmann, Malik Tillman and Afonso Moreira replaced Jarell Quansah, Ezequiel Fernández, Ibrahim Maza, Schick and the injured Moussa Diaby. Bayer 04 started on the front foot at the BayArena and had the first good chance after 11 minutes through Nathan Tella and then a Hofmann volley. However, it was the visitors who struck first with barely a quarter of an hour played when Rafael Lubach picked out the bottom right corner from the edge of the box.
Leverkusen struggled for a period as misplaced passes prevented a way through the away defence. And it was Nürnberg who got the second goal of the game on the counter-attack, which Sigurd Haugen tapped in at the far post with half an hour played. But the Werkself got themselves back in the game at a corner from Jan Reichert’s reaction stop against Tella’s volley, as captain Tapsoba met the delivery to bring it back to 2-1 shortly before half-time.
Martínez made a triple change at the break with the introduction of Maza, Schick and Fernández for Tillman, Moreira and Andrich. It brought an immediate response as the Werkself drew level thanks to Tapsoba’s second goal from a corner, putting away the rebound after seeing his initial header saved by Reichert. It was the defender’s first brace in Bayer 04 colours. The Werkself pressure after that proved too much for Nürnberg. García nearly got the third, only for Alexios Kalogeropoulos to block his shot. A Schick header was saved by Reichert, before García saw a free-kick diverted over the bar. But when Schick was brought down in the box, the Czech striker stepped up to put away the ensuing penalty into the right corner and finally put Leverkusen ahead in the tie after 70 minutes.
The Werkself kept going after that and made it 4-2 when Hofmann guided his shot from outside the box into the bottom right corner. The pick of the goals at the BayArena came in the 89th minute when Vázquez volleyed home Leverkusen’s fifth following a corner.
Bayer 04’s next two games also come at the BayArena, first in the Bundesliga as they host VfB Stuttgart on Saturday (15:30 CET). Then Marseille are the visitors to Leverkusen in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday (21:00).
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Blaswich - Vázquez, Tapsoba, Medina, Gutiérrez - Andrich (Fernández 46'), García - Hofmann, Tillman (Maza 46'), Moreira (Schick 46') - Tella (Quansah 68')
Nürnberg: Reichert - Janisch (Masouras 76'), Kalogeropoulos, Otto, Ceresoli (Porstner 60') - Markhiyev, Fernández, Justvan - Bøving, Haugen (Scobel 60'), Lubach
Goals: 0-1 Lubach (14'), 0-2 Haugen (30'), 1-2 Tapsoba (41'), 2-2 Tapsoba (49'), 3-2 Schick (70', pen), 4-2 Hofmann (78'), 5-2 Vázquez (89')
Yellow cards: Fernández, Vázquez - Masouras
Referee: Felix Zwayer
Attendance: 29,681 at the BayArena
The Werkself have reached at least the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal in each of the last three years. The Black-and-Reds would like to make it to the final four of the competition again this season, but to do that they'll need to overcome 1. FC Nürnberg in round two, who travel to the BayArena with momentum following a successful league campaign so far. However, Bayer have a 100 percent record at home in all competitions this season - and have also won six of their last seven home matches in the Pokal. The Matchday News.
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