Who is keeping their tongue restrained?
A hiccup for the champions: Despite Victor Boniface's impressive return from injury, Bayer Leverkusen failed to grab all three points in the Bundesliga. In a tight encounter against Werder Bremen, Leverkusen settled for a 2-2 draw (1-0), falling behind the league leaders. Boniface netted for Leverkusen in the 30th minute following his recovery from a minor car accident, but Marvin Ducksch (74') and Romano Schmid (90') also found the back of the net for Bremen. Felix Agu's (78') own goal evened the scoreline, thwarting Leverkusen's bid for victory. Bremen managed to end their home goal drought.
The evening was filled with emotion as the crowd paid homage to late Dieter Burdenski, Werder's record Bundesliga player. Leverkusen's head coach Xabi Alonso observed his side start the game with vigor. Striker Boniface, who had returned to the starting lineup for the Champions League match in Brest, came close to scoring in the opposition's penalty area in the early minutes, but his shot missed the target. Werder's Ducksch had a better opportunity slightly later, but his weak chip was saved by goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky (14').
Leverkusen's advantage looks false
Five minutes after Ducksch's near miss, he made amends with a fine curling effort from the edge of the box that forced Hradecky into a brilliant stop. Despite gaining an unexpected lead, Leverkusen struggled to create many chances during the first half. The fans at the Weser Stadium saw Alonso expressing frustration as players complained of limited opportunities.
Given their early advantage, their position was somewhat deceptive. A powerful cross from Jeremie Frimpong resulted in a precise finish by Boniface to give Leverkusen a 1-0 lead, leading into half-time despite Bremen's dominance. Bremen had failed to score in their first three home matches this campaign.
After the break, Leverkusen strengthened their grip on the game and displayed some of the grit that had earned them the title the preceding season. Florian Wirtz created an opportunity for Boniface, but this time Bremen keeper Jiri Zetterer was up to the challenge (62'). Shortly after, Ducksch energized the Weser Stadium with a well-placed header, only to be undone by Agu's spectacular own goal four minutes later.
The draw meant Bayer Leverkusen missed an opportunity to close the gap on the football league leaders. Despite Boniface's impact in the Bundesliga, Leverkusen's Football League position remained unchanged, as they continued to trail behind the top team.
