Wirtz shoots down Gladbach Leverkusen keep pace with Bayern Munich

Tobias Benz

18.1.2025

Florian Wirtz (center) shines against Gladbach with two goals and an assist.
Picture: KEYSTONE

Florian Wirtz continues to make the difference for Bayer Leverkusen. He single-handedly decides the prestigious duel against Gladbach. The double winners remain hot on the heels of Bayern.

18.01.2025, 18:25

18.01.2025, 20:28

With a brace, soccer artist Florian Wirtz decided the otherwise boring Rhineland duel against Borussia Mönchengladbach for Bayer Leverkusen. As in the first leg, Wirtz scored twice in the 3:1 (1:0) victory (32nd minute/62nd, penalty). In addition, 21-year-old goal scorer Patrik Schick set up Leverkusen's third goal (74'). Tim Kleindienst (90.+1) scored Gladbach's consolation goal.

The double winners thus won their eleventh competitive match in a row and remain within striking distance of record champions and league leaders Bayern Munich with a four-point deficit.

However, Martin Terrier was injured three days before the Champions League away game at Atlético Madrid. The attacking player got stuck in the turf through no fault of his own and had to be substituted for Piero Hincapie in the eighth minute.

For Gladbach, the third defeat in a row marked the end of a very bitter English week. The last time Borussia suffered three defeats at the start of a calendar year was eleven years ago. With 24 points, the team of former Bayer coach Gerardo Seoane remains in mid-table. The return of Tim Kleindienst, who had previously been ill, only paid off in stoppage time. Prior to that, the international had been hapless, as had the entire visiting team.

Kleindienst's return without effect

Leverkusen struggled for a long time against the compact Borussia defense. A lost tackle by Philipp Sander, who was again extremely unlucky, triggered a transition attack in which Wirtz fooled Gladbach defender Ko Itakura as if he were air. The national team player then scored with deliberation.

The game remained tense until well into the second half, however, as the superior Werks team invested little and lacked pace. Only a penalty decided the game. Alejandro Grimaldo shot the ball at Julian Weigl's arm from point-blank range. Referee Harm Osmers awarded a penalty, which Wirtz converted. This meant that Weigl had conceded two penalties against his team in the space of a week. Twelve minutes later, goalscorer Schick finally put the lid on the game after Wirtz's assist.

Gladbach disappointed

Nico Elvedi played his 272nd Bundesliga game for Gladbach and is now Borussia's foreign player with the most league appearances together with his Swiss compatriot Yann Sommer.

Four days after the 1:5 in Wolfsburg, Borussia played their next disappointing away game without any guts. In this condition, Seoane's team is unlikely to have anything to do with the hoped-for return to Europe.