FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – Bayer Leverkusen closed the gap on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich to three points with a 3-1 victory over VfL Bochum on Friday.
Leverkusen took early control of the match, dominating possession and setting the tempo.
Their efforts paid off in the 20th minute when Aleix Garcia struck from outside the area, curling a shot into the top corner past Bochum goalkeeper Timo Horn.
Bochum responded quickly, leveling the score six minutes later. Felix Passlack volleyed from the edge of the area to stun the home crowd, boosting his side’s fight to escape relegation.
Despite controlling 70% of the possession in the first half, Leverkusen struggled to break through Bochum’s defense. However, Victor Boniface restored their lead in the 60th minute, converting Piero Hincapie’s flick from a free kick.
Amine Adli sealed the win in the final minutes, racing through on a counterattack to score Leverkusen’s third goal.
“Bochum put up a good fight. We dominated from the beginning and basically handed them their goal. But overall, we stayed confident and got the win we deserved,” said Leverkusen captain Lukas Hradecky.