Second half stoppage time is ‘Leverkusen time’.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen played Borussia Dortmund to a 1-1 draw in the 30th round of the 2023-2024 Bundesliga at the Zignale Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, at 0:30 a.m. ET on Sunday.
With the one point, Leverkusen moved to 80 points (25 wins, 5 draws). They remained unbeaten after defeating Werder Bremen on May 15 to clinch the league title. Dortmund remained fifth in the league with 57 points (16 wins, 9 draws, 5 losses).
Leverkusen brought out a 3-4-2-1 formation. Jonas Hoffmann was up front, with Nathan Teller-Jeremy Frimpong in the attacking second line. Alejandro Grimaldo-Robert Andrić-Granit Xhaka-Josip Stanisic lined up in midfield. Piero Incapie, Jonatan Ta, and Edmond Topsova formed the back four, with Lukasz Hradecki in goal.
Dortmund lined up in a 4-1-4-1 formation. Niklas Fulkruk was up front, while Jamie Vyno Gittens, Julian Brandt, Marcel Zabiczer and Jayden Sancho formed the attacking two. Emre Can protected the back four alone, while Ian Mattesen-Nico Schlotterbeck-Mats Hummels-Julian Lüersson formed the back four. Gregor Kobel wore the goalkeeper’s gloves.
The first half was tight. Leverkusen, 안전놀이터 who had 58% of the possession, attempted seven shots (0 on target) in the first half alone, looking for the opening goal. Dortmund responded with three shots and one on target.
It was Dortmund who took the lead first.
In the 36th minute, Xavier won the ball on the right flank inside the box and sent in a cross that was momentarily misplaced by the defense and Pilkruk rattled the post with a precise right-footed shot. Hradecky got a hand to the ball, but it still crossed the line.
The 90 minutes were up. Extra time was called. Leverkusen’s unbeaten run would come to an end after 44 official matches. Their dream of winning the league unbeaten would be over.
Just before the end of the game, a miracle happened. In the seventh of eight minutes of extra time, Josip Stanisic headed home Florian Wirz’s corner kick from the left flank for a dramatic equalizer.
The game ended the same way, and Leverkusen kept their 45th clean sheet in all competitions with the miraculous equalizer.
Leverkusen have played a lot of close games this season. Rather than completely shutting out their opponents, they’ve earned points by saving crucial chances.
They dominated extra time in particular. In the league match against Bayern Munich on September 16 last year, they scored the equalizer in the 94th minute after being down 1-2, and against Augsburg on January 13, they scored the winner in the 94th minute.
Then, against RB Leipzig on January 21, Piero Incapie’s dramatic goal in the first minute of stoppage time with the score tied 2-2 secured all three points.
Not the end.
On March 30, against Hoffenheim, we were 1-0 down for most of the game before Robert Andrić equalized in the 43rd minute and Patrik Sick scored the game-winner in the first minute of stoppage time.
Most recently, Leverkusen remained unbeaten against Dortmund on Nov. 22, earning a point with a “theater goal” in the seventh minute of extra time.
In the Bundesliga, 11 of their points have come in extra time. That’s a lot of concentration.
Leverkusen’s focus continued in European competitions and cups. In the second leg of the Europa League round of 16 against Qarabag FK,바카라사이트 they found the back of the net in the 93rd and 97th minutes to reach the quarterfinals, and in the DFB Pokal quarterfinals against Stuttgart, they won with a 90th-minute goal from Jonatan Tah.
Leverkusen, who were crowned Bundesliga champions earlier in the 29th round after drawing and winning a tie, are now just four games away from winning the league unbeaten.
