Leverkusen's victory without glamor: "Feels incredibly good"
The winning streak extended, progression secured: Bayer Leverkusen's attacking player Jonas Hofmann was visibly satisfied after the last-minute win at FK Karabakh Agdam in the Europa League. "A win like this is also incredibly good - that the team also realizes that we can pull it off in stoppage time," said the international on RTL+ and smiled.
According to the data service provider Opta, Bayer 04 set a club record with their eleventh consecutive competitive match win. Since the Bundesliga was founded in the 1963/64 season, the Rhinelanders had never managed such a streak within one season.
The top two places in the Europa League are now out of Bayer 04's reach. Things are also looking very good in the race to win the group, which would take the Werkself directly into the round of 16 and save them a play-off against a third-placed team from the Champions League. They have a six-point lead over second-placed Molde FK.
Bundesliga regular Hofmann was able to rest for a long time during the match in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku. The 31-year-old, who joined the Werkself from Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer, only came off the bench in the 61st minute.
Coach Xabi Alonso made a total of six changes compared to the previous league game. Nevertheless, it was enough to win the game - albeit only narrowly thanks to Victor Boniface's converted penalty in the fourth minute of stoppage time. "We rotate and still play great games. That's an important realization. It brings us closer together," said Hofmann.
Bayer Leverkusen's win against FK Karabakh Agdam in the Europa League has further boosted their chances in the competition. With Jonas Hofmann scoring the decisive penalty in stoppage time, Bayer Leverkusen continues their impressive run, having now won eleven consecutive competitive matches.
The victory over FK Karabakh Agdam also puts Bayer Leverkusen in a strong position in their Europa League group, as they currently lead by six points over second-placed Molde FK. This means that if they secure first place, they can bypass the round of 16 and avoid playing against a third-placed team from the Champions League.
Source: www.dpa.com
