Leverkusen pick up big win over Leipzig in fight for European qualification
Mirroring the grace of their iconic manager in midfield, Leverkusen held steady against a strong Leipzig start, looking for an opportunity to draw first blood, which they eventually did, but not before Piero Hincapié saw his Alonso-esque thunderbolt rattle the crossbar.
It was Adam Hlozek who broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time for Die Werkself, finishing a brilliant counter-attack by firing past Janis Blaswich with a low drive and denying the visitors a third consecutive away clean sheet.
Marco Rose’s introduction of Christopher Nkunku at the interval revealed his desire of storming the Leverkusen goal, and the German tactician’s substitution almost paid dividends after the hour mark, when the Frenchman agonizingly wasted back-to-back opportunities from point-blank range - one of which was cleared off the line.
Having emerged from a losing position to win 3-2 against Augsburg last matchday, the visitors maintained hopes of another such result with a strong fightback, but Die Werkself seemed content to absorb pressure given their prowess on the counter.
Sustained Leipzig pressure ensued as the game neared its conclusion, but their chances of a fightback were undone when Dominik Szoboszlai conceded a late penalty - and consequently received a second yellow card - which Nadiem Amiri confidently dispatched.
With their win, Leverkusen extended their unbeaten run to eight Bundesliga matches and kept spirits high ahead of a Europa League semi-final showdown with Roma.
Missed chances were the story of Leipzig's day, as they missed the chance to move into third and remain stranded outside the top four altogether.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen)