Leverkusen Dominates Bottom-Placed Kiel to Maintain Pressure on Bayern
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Synopsis
On February 23, Bayer Leverkusen secured a 2-0 victory over Holstein Kiel, reinforcing their status as Bayern Munich's main challenger in the Bundesliga. The match saw Leverkusen take control early, with goals from Patrick Schick and Amine Adli helping them close the gap at the top of the table.
Key Takeaways
- Leverkusen won 2-0 against Kiel
- Schick opened the scoring early in the match
- Adli doubled the lead before halftime
- Kiel remains at the bottom of the table
- Leverkusen is now just five points behind Bayern Munich
Berlin, Feb 23 (NationPress) Bayer Leverkusen solidified its position as the closest contender to Bayern Munich after securing a 2-0 win against the last-placed Holstein Kiel in the 23rd round of the Bundesliga.
From the outset, Leverkusen took charge, controlling possession and posing threats early through set pieces. In the fourth minute, Jonathan Tah volleyed over the bar, and shortly after, goalkeeper Tim Weiner had to intervene to tip a deflected header over the crossbar. Just moments later, Shuto Machino cleared a header from Patrick Schick off the line in the sixth minute.
Leverkusen's determination bore fruit in the ninth minute when Amine Adli delivered a precise pass into the box, enabling Schick to score past Weiner from close range. Despite taking an early lead, the Werkself struggled to create clear opportunities as the half went on, as noted by Xinhua.
Kiel nearly equalized in the 22nd minute, forcing Leverkusen goalkeeper Matej Kovar to come off his line and deny Finn Knudsen outside the area, but the hosts failed to generate any sustained pressure.
Just before halftime, Florian Wirtz set up Adli to double Leverkusen's lead. The attacking midfielder found Adli with a through ball, and the striker finished expertly from a tight angle just before the break.
Leverkusen shifted to a more defensive strategy in the second half but continued to pose threats, with Edmond Tapsoba testing Weiner with a long-range effort in the 53rd minute. The visitors maintained their control, nearly adding a third goal late in the game when Wirtz found space in the area, but Weiner managed to palm away his shot in the closing moments.
This result intensifies Kiel's relegation worries at the bottom of the table, while Leverkusen's title aspirations are strengthened by their position just five points behind leaders Bayern Munich.
In other matches, Mainz moved into the top five with goals from Lee Jae-Sung and Paul Nebel in a 2-0 win over St. Pauli. Wolfsburg held relegation-threatened Bochum to a late 1-1 draw, while Augsburg secured a 3-0 victory over ten-man Borussia Monchengladbach. Borussia Dortmund ended a two-game losing streak in the league, with Serhou Guirassy scoring four goals in a 6-0 rout of struggling Union Berlin.
Earlier on Friday, Freiburg climbed into the top four with a decisive 5-0 win against Werder Bremen.
