Bayer Leverkusen wins first-ever Bundesliga title after 5-0 win over Werder Bremen; Wirtz scores hattrick
Needing a win to secure the title, Leverkusen took the lead after Victor Boniface converted a penalty in the 25th minute after Jonas Hofmann was brought down inside the penalty box.
Published : Apr 14, 2024 22:52 IST , Chennai - 2 MINS READ
Bayer Leverkusen’s Granit Xhaka celebrates scoring its second goal with Nathan Tella and teammates. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Bayer Leverkusen has secured its first-ever Bundesliga title after beating Werder Bremen 5-0 on Sunday. Leverkusen is the first team since Borussia Dortmund in the 2011-12 season to win the Bundesliga, dethroning giant Bayern Munich’s 11-year dominance.
Needing a win to secure the title, Leverkusen took the lead after Victor Boniface converted a penalty in the 25th minute after Jonas Hofmann was brought down inside the penalty box.
Leverkusen came close to doubling its lead in the 38th minute when Amine Adli hit the bar with a left-footed shot from the left side of the box.
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Werder Bremen almost equalised just before halftime when Mitchell Weiser headed the ball towards the goal from close range, forcing Leverkusen keeper Lukas Hradecky to make a good save to ensure that his side maintained its lead going into halftime.
Boniface turned provided for former Arsenal player Granit Xhaka, who doubled the lead for the home side in the 60th minute with an outstanding first time shot from outside the box, into the top left corner.
Eight minutes later, half-time substitute Florian Wirtz scored the third for Leverkusen, hitting the ball with power from outside the box, leaving the opposition keeper no chance to save it.
Wirtz doubled his tally in the 83rd minute after he received a beautiful ball over the top from Exequiel Palacios, breaking away and setting himself up for a one-on-one with the keeper. He calmly finished into the bottom corner, but his celebrations were cut short by a number of home fans invading the pitch.
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He capped off his hattrick in the 90th minute, once again prompting fans to invade the pitch, which forced the referee to blow the full time whistle.
The Xabi Alonso-led side has won the league with five games to go, amassing 79 points, 16 more than second-placed Bayern. It also broke the Bundesliga record for most undefeated matches in a single season.