FREIBURG: Bayer Leverkusen beat hosts Freiburg 3-2 on Sunday to stay 10 points clear at the top of the league standings and edge closer to a first ever Bundesliga title.

Fresh from qualifying for the Europa League quarter-final in mid-week, Leverkusen showed no signs of fatigue as they earned a club record 22nd win in a Bundesliga season.

Xabi Alonso’s team, who also set a club record with their sixth straight away win, are on 70 points, 10 ahead of second-placed Bayern Munich with eight league games left to play.

VfB Stuttgart are third on 56, with Borussia Dortmund in fourth on 50 following their 3-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

“It is always difficult to play against Freiburg,” said Leverkusen coach Alonso. “Their second goal injected some more emotions late in the game. We could not score a fourth but it was a deserved win with a good performance.”

His team face West Ham in the Europa League quarter-finals next month and are also through to the German Cup last four where they host Fortuna Dusseldorf on April 3.

Florian Wirtz put the visitors, who are unbeaten across all competitions this season, in front after two minutes with a scintillating solo run before Ritsu Doan’s clever shot in the 10th drew Freiburg level.

Leverkusen put their noses back in front before half-time though, with Adam Hlozek tapping into an empty net after a mistake by Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu.

Patrik Schick put the gloss on another convincing victory for Alonso’s team, with a sensational flick to a scintillating Leverkusen counter-attack.

Yannik Keitel pulled one back for Freiburg but the damage was already done, leaving the hosts in ninth and with European qualification slipping away.

Dortmund, who beat PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League last week to set up a quarter-final showdown against Atletico Madrid, fell behind to a breakaway Frankfurt goal by former hero Mario Goetze in front of the Yellow Wall.

But the hosts struck back through Karim Adeyemi before the break.

Mats Hummels’ diving header from Julian Brandt’s free-kick put Dortmund ahead for the first time in the 81st minute, with Emre Can’s stoppage-time penalty adding the gloss as they stayed a point ahead of RB Leipzig in the race for fourth spot.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2024