Late heartbreak against Leverkusen

Match summary

The visitors from Leverkusen made the better start and had more of the play in the early stages at the MHP Arena, but no real goalscoring chances arose.

Demirovic on target

VfB improved and took the lead in the 15^th minute through Ermedin Demirovic, who started in place of Deniz Undav. In first-half stoppage time, Piero Hincapie blocked a big chance for Angelo Stiller and prevented a second VfB goal.

Four goals in 19 minutes

This eventually came in the 48^th minute, when Nick Woltemade finished off a pass from Enzo Millot. The game exploded into life after that, with Jeremie Frimpong reducing the deficit for Leverkusen in the 56^th minute before an own goal by Granit Xhaka put VfB 3-1 up (62’). Five minutes later, the ball fell kindly to Hincapie and he fired in from 13 metres to cut the deficit to one again.

Suspenseful finale

In the 88^th minute, Angelo Stiller’s own goal levelled the score at 3-3 before Patrik Schick netted a late winner for the Werkself in the fourth minute of added time, completing a dramatic turnaround.

Goals

15^th minute: Lukas Hradecky parries Jamie Leweling’s shot but can’t stop the follow-up from Demirovic.

48^th minute: Millot plays a perfect pass to Woltemade, who has plenty of space in the penalty area to make it 2-0 from 10 metres.

56^th minute: The VfB defence fail to deal with a cross from Xhaka. The ball slips through to Frimpong, whose shot leaves Alexander Nübel with no chance.

62^nd minute: A strange goal: Hradecky directs a shot from Demirovic onto the arm of Xhaka and it bounces into the net.

67^th minute: From a corner, the ball lands fortunately with Hincapie and he smashes it past the helpless Nübel from 13 metres.

88^th minute: Victor Boniface crosses the ball into the middle and Stiller’s attempted clearance ends up in his own net.

90’+4^th minute: Chris Führich can’t stop Frimpong and the Dutchman’s cross is headed in by Schick for a late winner for Leverkusen.