Bundesliga - Schick hat-trick on comeback: Bayer break HSV record
Bayer Leverkusen improved on a record of more than 40 years set by Hamburger SV in Patrik Schick 's fantastic comeback to the starting eleven and went into the new year without a single defeat. Led by the outstanding hat-trick scorer Schick, the Werkself, already crowned Christmas champions of the Bundesliga before the game, defeated VfL Bochum 4:0 (3:0) at the end of the year. The 25 competitive matches without defeat from the start of the season are a German record. This was previously held not by serial champions FC Bayern Munich, but by HSV since the 1982/83 season.
Man of the day was Schick, who scored all the goals before half-time in his first Bundesliga start for more than 14 months. First he converted a penalty that he himself had conceded (30th minute), then less than two minutes later he scored in goal-scoring style, then with a header from a corner kick (45.+1). Victor Boniface, who came on for Schick, added another two minutes after coming on (69').
Leverkusen are top of the table for the fourth time this winter after 1993, 2001 and 2009, but Bayer have never been champions. They have a four-point lead over FC Bayern, who still have a catch-up game against Union Berlin to play. Bochum, who inflicted Leverkusen's last defeat to date with a 3-0 win on the last matchday of the previous season, go into the winter break with a comfortable six-point lead over the relegation places.
Alonso practically rehearsed for the worst-case scenario and left all five players who will be missing in January due to the Africa Cup on the bench at kick-off. The Bochum fans fired off pyrotechnics as the team entered the pitch. Referee Daniel Schlager therefore had to interrupt the match after around one and a half minutes. After a break of around two minutes, play resumed.
Bochum were well in the game at first and had the first chance of the match through Christopher Antwi-Adjei (10'). The hosts, who had changed four positions, took a while to find their feet against the surprisingly courageous and well-organized underdogs.
In the 28th minute, Bochum had 4:1 shots on goal and 2:0 corners when a scene turned everything on its head: Schick was sent on a steep run by Florian Wirtz and put the ball past VfL keeper Manuel Riemann. Riemann tried his best not to touch the Czech international and pulled his arms back, but the penalty was still justifiable. Schick converted against penalty specialist Riemann.
Bochum were now shocked, Leverkusen played in their usual manner. Riemann saved from Jeremie Frimpong (34') and Jonas Hofmann (42') before the break, while Alejandro Grimaldo shot over Riemann's vacated goal from seven meters after a counter-attack (43'). Thanks to Schick, however, the game was decided before the break.
Schick almost scored his fourth goal ten minutes after the break. Riemann prevented this with a foot save. Robert Andrich scored with his head, but the goal was disallowed due to Wirtz being ruled offside (62'). Schick was allowed to leave the field after 66 minutes. He clearly did not have enough strength for 90 minutes. But his replacement Boniface scored promptly.
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Source: www.stern.de
