How do you top a week where you knock out a Pokal favourite and thrash the record champions? To be honest, you can’t, but a win against promoted side Heidenheim would be historic nevertheless. With Bayern playing away to Bochum on Sunday, it represented a chance to extend the lead at the top to an incredible 8 points, but more significantly, equal the seemingly unbeatable unbeaten record set by Hansi Flick’s Bayern team in 2020/21 of 32 matches. At the highest altitude stadium in German professional football, the Voith-Arena (555m), they would not have it easy. Heidenheim were without defeat themselves in their last eight games, securing an impressive 2-1 win against Bremen in the previous matchday; also grinding results against the likes of VFB Stuttgart (2-0), and Borussia Dortmund (0-0) at home, contributing to them achieving 7th best home record in the league - not bad for a team that was one of the favourites for relegation at the start of the season! Not only was it the meeting of two in-form teams, but also of two of the most revered coaches in the Bundesliga in Schmidt and Alonso. Frank Schmidt’s loyalty is a rare thing in modern football, with the Heidenheim boss’ coaching career spanning over 16 years and five divisions - the longest serving coach of a single team in German professional football history. Xabi Alonso said this before the game about his counterpart: “top person, top coach and has this passion for the team”. Schmidt had similar adulation saying that there was ‘a universe’ between him and Alonso. Leverkusen’s only previous visit to the 15,000 capacity stadium resulted in a 2-1 defeat back in 2019 in the DFB Pokal. A better performance was demanded this time round.
In regards to the team news, the question was whether Alonso would stick with the team that so easily dismantled Bayern. The answer was no as he reverted back to a more familiar lineup with Schick up top, though there were still some big calls made - not least with Stanisic moving into the back 3 (perhaps as a reward for his performance last weekend), ousting Tapsoba, and Frimpong returning to his familiar wingback role. By starting Hincapie, Alonso ensured the Ecuadorian would play his 100th game for the club, and it also meant that Odilon Kossounou (fresh from winning the AFCON with Ivory Coast) would have to warm the bench in his first week back. Exequiel Palacios’ injury woes remained so in-form Robert Andrich retained his place alongside Xhaka at the heart of the midfield, whilst Adli once again started in place of Hofmann alongside Wirtz in attack.
It was just the one change for the hosts with Adrian Beck starting in place of Marvin Pieringer in attacking midfield. Kevin Muller started in goal with a back four consisting of Omar Traore, Mainka, Gimber and Fohrenbach ahead of him. Lennard Maloney (the player who has run the most in the league this season) partnered Schoppner in defensive midfield and set-piece specialist Jan Niklas Beste and Eren Dinkci (fastest Bundesliga player - top speed 36.41km/h) were the wingers on either flank. Tim Kleindienst, statistically the strongest player in the air in the league, started up front for the team from Baden-Wurttemberg in their favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.
The whistle blew at the Voith-Arena, and immediately the Heidenheim side went about playing with an aggressive press that was largely ineffective in the face of the superior technical ability of the Werkself. The first chance therefore fell to the guests, when Amine Adli passed to Wirtz who, in the D just outside the box, shot first time at goal, though it lacked power so it was easily saved by Muller in goal (4’). In the 6th minute, Grimaldo, on the right side of the pitch threaded the ball through to Schick, but the Czech striker was denied the opportunity to shoot by an exceptional last-ditch tackle from Gimber. Schick then had a brief injury scare after a late challenge from Mainka left him clutching his ankle. Following some quick treatment from the medical staff, he was able to continue without issues (12’). The game was largely being played in the middle of the park, with neither side allowing any space for any real chances to be generated. The next chance did eventually arrive when Grimaldo drilled one of his trademark low crosses into Patrik Schick just within the six-yard box - he strikes the ball completely wrong however and the ball flew shockingly high over the bar (19’). Shortly afterwards, there was a stoppage in the game for a VAR check over a potential Leverkusen penalty after Adli took an arm to the face following a dazzling dribble from Wirtz that took him past four players! No penalty was given however (20’). Leverkusen were dominating in terms of possession and chances in the opening period but still there was nothing of significance to disturb Kevin Muller. On the other hand, Heidenheim continued to work extremely hard off the ball and tried to make use of Dinkci’s pace on the counterattack - without too much success given he was not allowed any open space to run into.
Fohrenbach was booked for holding back Frimpong (26’), then Gimber joined him for a similar foul on Schick (32’) which left the Heidenheim defence in a rather trepid position, with half of them one bad foul away from dismissal. In between those two yellow cards, Wirtz was able to excellently control a heavy pass before immediately playing in Schick. Kevin Muller left his goalline early and positioned himself well to deny him of a scoring opportunity (28’). Bayer 04 continued to pile on pressure when a Grimaldo free kick found Hincapie but the Ecuadorian international’s header harmlessly looped into the keeper's gloves (34’). The hosts finally had their first noteworthy chance in the latter stages of the first half when 1.94m Tim Kleindienst controlled a long ball in the box, before turning and firing his volley over the crossbar (36’). Chances were sparse for the remainder of the first half, with the final pass from the guests lacking the necessary precision to break through the stern Heidenheim backline. But in the last seconds of stoppage time, the defensive wall finally gave in. Wirtz took the ball, turned, then passed it out to the left for Amine Adli, who then carried the ball into the box before squaring it to Frimpong; the wingback hit his effort low, and with a slight ricochet off Fohrenbach, whizzed past Muller in goal (45+2’). The goal came at the perfect time and was richly deserved - in truth it was largely one-way traffic in the first half and the statistics reflected this. At the break, Leverkusen had 60% of the possession, 7 shots (3 on target) compared to Heidenheim’s solitary shot off target, and an xG of 0.65 versus 0.12 for the hosts. Being a goal behind, now the onus was on Heidenheim to attack the Werkself, and hopefully with that, open up the game for further goal scoring opportunities.
The second half began with the backing track of thousands of whistles in protest at the DFL following their plans to sell 8% of future TV rights in exchange for an estimated €1 billion investment, following a vote that was branded as ‘undemocratic’ and ‘lacking transparency’. Despite the potential distractions that this could bring for the players involved, referee Harm Osmers decided to continue nonetheless. The Leverkusen players were once again on the front foot, though Heidenheim refused to let them be comfortable. After a prolonged attack, which featured a blocked attempt from Grimaldo (50’), Frimpong took it upon himself to shoot from an unfamiliar central position, just outside the box, using his weaker left foot; his effort flying considerably over (51’). At the other end, Heidenheim’s own right back, Omar Traore, decided to take a pop from distance but his low shot rolled harmlessly past the left post with Kleindienst nearby (53’). In the 56th minute, Grimaldo got hold of a deflected ball, playing through Adli in the box. The Moroccan completely scuffed his shot from the right side of the penalty area, with the ball going well wide of the right post. Hardworking Heidenheim were nearly rewarded for their endeavours when Frimpong’s aimless clearance gave the ball away to Nikola Dovedan at the edge of the box who then cut inside onto his left foot - his low shot veered off Tah’s outstretched leg, but Hradecky saved well to prevent it nestling in the bottom-left corner (58’). Off the back of a fast break, Schick slowed the pace down before shifting the ball wide to Frimpong. Eager to double his tally, he jinked past Fohrenbach before hitting it low across the face of goal, with Adli the closest to directing the shot/cross on-target (61’).
As a result of pressure from Beste, Josip Stanisic passed in panic back to Hradecky who had to stretch his leg to stop a potentially embarrassing own goal (69’). The resulting corner was cleared out of play but Beste took his throw-in quickly, getting the ball back from Kleindienst before dribbling into the box and laying it off to Benedikt Gimber - the centre back hit it cleanly and with considerable power but Hradecky did well, diving to his right to make the important save (70’). At this point, Bayer Leverkusen had not conceded a goal in over six hours of play in the Bundesliga with ‘the Spider’ playing no small role in that. It was the hosts’ turn to make the error in possession, with Grimaldo making an interception high up the pitch following a goal kick. The Spaniard’s cross pinged to Frimpong at the far post who couldn't guide his volley home (75’). The Werkself would then have their best chance of the second half when Frimpong passed it into the feet of substitute Borja Iglesias, tapped it onto Wirtz who proceeded to slam the ball onto the underside of the crossbar from about 7 yards (77’). That was the fourth time that the 20 year old had hit the woodwork this season in the Bundesliga, a league high. Europe’s best assistant would redeem himself however, playing a deft pass, so delicate that it seemed to move in slow motion, through to Amine Adli who took it around the keeper before slotting it home into the empty net for 2-0 (81’)! That assist made it 16 in all competitions for Wirtz (in the top 5 leagues, he is 3 clear of second-place Saka). The game looked to be done and dusted until the 87th minute when a freekick from Sessa for the hosts, initially dealt with by Xhaka, found the head of Dovedan who squared it to Kleindienst - last season’s 2. Bundesliga top scorer was never missing, heading it down, giving Hradecky no chance to react, to make it 2-1. That made the last minutes of the game particularly nervy - made worse by the five additional minutes. That being said, Leverkusen defended well and, despite Heidenheim desperately throwing everything they had at them, they were resolute. Andrich received a yellow card in the 92nd minute but the resulting freekick was inconsequential. 2-1 was the final score.
Whilst the performance of the team was by no means up to the usual high standards set by Xabi Alonso, they grinded out a win nevertheless against an opponent who has proved to be a stumbling block for numerous top sides already this season. It was the kind of game that in previous years, the team would have perhaps dropped points in, but this year is different and they overcame the challenge. Not only did the win take Bayer 04 eight points clear of Bayern Munich, at least temporarily, it also equalled the German record of 32 games unbeaten in all competitions. With 57 goals scored, Leverkusen also matched last season’s Bundesliga total already - the transformation that the team has undergone since Alonso’s management has been nothing short of remarkable, and that is just even more proof - if anyone needed any! To beat the record, the Werkself must overcome Mainz next Friday, the new home of fan-favourite Nadiem Amiri. Bayern Munich on the other hand must face VFL Bochum this evening before welcoming Leipzig to the Allianz Arena next Saturday (having lost 3-0 to them at home in the Supercup already this season) - an amazing opportunity to further cement Bayer Leverkusen’s status as title favourites...
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