In the 18th round of the Bundesliga, a match took place with Bayer Leverkusen hosting Borussia Mönchengladbach at home. As the reigning champions, Leverkusen has maintained an impressive record this season, securing 11 wins, 5 draws, and only 1 loss in their first 17 league matches. This outstanding performance has placed them second in the standings, with a very small gap from the top team, Bayern Munich. At the beginning of the season, Leverkusen was significantly behind Bayern, but they have been steadily closing the gap with their recent excellent form, putting immense pressure on Bayern. Leverkusen has won all of their last 10 matches, showing great momentum. In this match against Mönchengladbach, Leverkusen once again emerged victorious, extending their winning streak to 11 games! Alonso is truly remarkable!
For this game, Leverkusen lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Hložek led the attack upfront. The attacking trio of Nathan Ake, Wirtz, and Teryho joined forces. Andrich and Xhaka formed the double pivot in midfield. Arthur, Jonathan Tah, Tapsoba, and Grimaldo made up the four-man defense. Hradecky started as the goalkeeper. Palacios, Hofmann, and Frimpong were on standby on the bench.
Leverkusen opened the scoring in the 32nd minute. Wirtz, relying on his superb individual skills, forced his way through the defenders, dribbled into the penalty area, and scored with a low shot. In the second half, Wirtz capitalized on a penalty opportunity to extend the lead. In the 75th minute, Wirtz provided a precise assist, setting up Hložek for a one-on-one chance, which he calmly converted to put the game beyond doubt. However, Mönchengladbach managed to pull one back in the dying moments of the game. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored from close range in the penalty area. The final score was 3-1, with Leverkusen defeating Mönchengladbach and continuing their impressive run.
Undoubtedly, the 21-year-old prodigy Wirtz, valued at a staggering 140 million euros, was the standout player of the match. He was directly involved in three goals, including two goals and one assist, along with two key passes and two successful dribbles. Wirtz is undoubtedly Leverkusen's absolute core, continuing his exceptional form from last season. In this season's 18 league matches, he has contributed to 17 goals, including 9 goals and 8 assists.
Leverkusen won this round, and Bayern also secured a victory in this round, meaning that the gap between the two sides remains unchanged. Bayern tops the table with 45 points, while Leverkusen follows closely with 41 points, leaving only a four-point difference between them. Both teams have only suffered one defeat, but Leverkusen has two more draws, resulting in their trailing position.