Leverkusen come back in the final three minutes of the Bundesliga

Leverkusen's 38-match unbeaten run was all but ended against Hoffenheim, until Robert Andrich and Patrik Schick scored in the 88th and 90th minutes to secure a 2-1 win in Bundesliga round 27.

In the match against Hoffenheim on the evening of March 30, Leverkusen did not start very well. They controlled the ball and had more shots, but did not pose a threat against the deep defense. Meanwhile, Hoffenheim were more careful with their chances when they attacked.

In the 33rd minute, the away team unexpectedly took the lead. After a one-two with Wout Weghorst, Maximilian Beier escaped into the penalty area, then shot the ball off goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky's foot and into the Leverkusen goal.

Beier (in white shirt) opened the score in the Leverkusen 2-1 Hoffenheim match in round 27 of the Bundesliga on the evening of March 30 at BayArena. Photo: INA — Beier (in white shirt) opened the score in the Leverkusen 2-1 Hoffenheim match in round 27 of the Bundesliga on the evening of March 30 at BayArena. Photo: *INA*

The loss made the home players play more focused. They constantly pressed and almost only played in the opponent's field. However, on a day lacking in scoring luck, most of Leverkusen's shots could not beat goalkeeper Oliver Baumann. In the 42nd minute, Alex Grimaldo lobbed the ball from outside the box, but Baumann was able to fly to save it. In the 54th minute, Hoffenheim's captain once again shone when he blocked Florian Wirtz's tight-angle shot.

But Baumann's best performance came with two consecutive saves in the 76th minute. The 33-year-old goalkeeper was well placed to block Schick's five-yard tap-in, then used his hand to deflect Amine Adli's follow-up shot wide for a corner.

As the match entered the final minutes, Hoffenheim sent all 11 players to defend the goal. However, Leverkusen players quickly regained their scoring instinct to turn the game around. In the 88th minute, from a cross into the penalty area, Jonathan Tah headed the ball back for Andrich to volley into the goal, tying the score at 1-1 for the home team.

Home team players celebrate the equalizer in the Leverkusen 2-1 Hoffenheim match in round 27 of the Bundesliga on the evening of March 30 at BayArena. Photo: Reuters — Home team players celebrate the equalizer in the Leverkusen 2-1 Hoffenheim match in round 27 of the Bundesliga on the evening of March 30 at BayArena. Photo: *Reuters*

Relieved of the psychological burden, Leverkusen played more comfortably and excitedly. In the 90+1 minute, they completed the comeback. After Nathan Tella's right-wing cross, Schick tapped the ball into the net to seal a 2-1 victory.

The win over Hoffenheim helped Leverkusen move one step closer to the Bundesliga. Coach Xabi Alonso's team has 73 points after 27 rounds, 13 points more than Bayern before the German classic. Bayern can reduce the gap back to 10 points if they win against Dortmund.

Leverkusen extended their unbeaten run to 39 games, including 27 Bundesliga games, four German Cup games and eight Europa League games. They are aiming for their first Bundesliga title in the club's history and a treble in the 2023-2024 season.

Thanh Quy

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