Bundesliga Roundup: Late Win for Leverkusen, Dortmund Defeated 5-1
Bayer Leverkusen secured a dramatic 4-3 victory over Wolfsburg, thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Victor Boniface on Sunday. Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat against Stuttgart.
The match between Leverkusen and Wolfsburg was tightly contested, remaining level at 3-3 since the 48th minute. Wolfsburg faced a setback late in the game when Yannick Gerhardt received a red card for a foul on Jeremie Frimpong.
Boniface, who came off the bench with 22 minutes to play, seized the opportunity to score the winner in the third minute of injury time. This victory comes as Leverkusen prepares for a critical match against Bayern Munich next week.
Midfielder Granit Xhaka expressed dissatisfaction with the performance, describing it as "a giant wake-up call" and stressing that "none of us can be satisfied with the game today." He emphasized the need for improved defensive strategies, acknowledging the team's inability to rely on scoring four goals consistently.
Leverkusen's coach, Xabi Alonso, made significant changes to the lineup following a 4-0 win against Feyenoord in the Champions League. New signing Nordi Mukiele made his debut but faced difficulties, conceding an own goal in the fifth minute after the ball ricocheted off his thigh.
Florian Wirtz quickly responded for Leverkusen with a stunning long-range goal. Jonathan Tah later put the hosts ahead with a header from a corner, but Wolfsburg's Sebastiaan Bornauw equalized shortly after. Mattias Svanberg then put Wolfsburg ahead again before Piero Hincapie leveled for Leverkusen just after halftime.
Leverkusen, the reigning champions, had previously gone unbeaten last season but faced challenges after losing to RB Leipzig in their last home match. Boniface's late strike ensured they remained three points behind league leaders Bayern.
In a later match, RB Leipzig managed a scoreless draw against promoted St. Pauli, marking their second consecutive match without a goal. St. Pauli created several chances in the first half but were unable to convert, while Leipzig improved after the break yet failed to score.
In Stuttgart, the home side put on a commanding performance against Dortmund, who recently lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League. Deniz Undav netted twice, with additional goals from Ermedin Demirovic, Enzo Millot, and El Bilal Toure. Dortmund, who had entered the match unbeaten, fell behind quickly, with Undav scoring just four minutes in and Demirovic adding a second shortly thereafter.
Millot extended Stuttgart's lead with a tap-in after a corner, and although Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy pulled one back late in the game, Stuttgart responded with two more goals to secure the victory.
Undav remarked, "We showed a reaction to the Real Madrid game and I'm happy." Dortmund's coach Nuri Sahin acknowledged Stuttgart's deserved victory and expressed confidence that his team would improve in their upcoming match against Bochum.