Schick Sets Record as Leverkusen Beat Freiburg 2-1
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- Bayer Leverkusen mengalahkan Freiburg 2-1 di BayArena, dengan Patrik Schick menjadi satu-satunya pemain Werkself yang mencetak gol dalam enam pertandingan pembuka Bundesliga.
- Kemenangan ini menghentikan laju Freiburg yang sebelumnya memuncaki klasemen dengan rekor 13 poin dari lima laga pertama.
- Ibrahim Maza menjadi bintang dengan satu gol dan satu assist, sementara Schick menambah koleksi golnya menjadi enam musim ini.
Bayer Leverkusen secured an important 2-1 win over surprise visitors Freiburg at the BayArena on Bundesliga matchday six. Patrik Schick made the difference with the winning goal in the 76th minute, also writing his name as the only Leverkusen player to have scored in all six opening matches of the season.
Freiburg arrived at Leverkusen as league leaders after collecting 13 points from their first five matches—the club's best record. However, their mission to hold on to top spot fell through after Leverkusen came from behind. Freiburg coach Julian Schuster made just one change, fielding Keisuke Gotō in place of the absent Yuito Suzuki. Meanwhile, Leverkusen coach Carles Martínez reshuffled five positions from the midweek Europa League match, bringing back Schick, Afonso Moreira, Moussa Diaby, Jarell Quansah, and Facundo Medina.
Leverkusen started the match aggressively, but it was Freiburg who opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Philipp Treu won the ball and combined with Niklas Beste on the right before delivering a pass to Derry Scherhant, who calmly beat the goalkeeper. The hosts responded quickly. Five minutes later, Schick played the ball to Diaby, who returned it into the penalty area. Schick then laid the ball off to an unmarked Ibrahim Maza, and the young player struck a fierce shot with the outside of his foot to equalize.
The first half continued fiercely with limited chances. Schick headed against the post from a free kick, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Freiburg also protested a suspected handball by Aleix García, but the referee ignored it. The 1-1 scoreline held until halftime.
Entering the second half, both teams played cautiously. Leverkusen gradually took control, and Schick's golden chance in the 60th minute still flew over the crossbar. The decisive goal finally came in the 76th minute. Maza beat several defenders on the back line, then sent a low cross to the mouth of the goal that Schick finished easily. It was Schick's sixth league goal of the season. Freiburg tried to equalize through substitutes Cyriaque Irié and Lucas Höler, but Höler's header in the final seconds went wide. Leverkusen held on until the final whistle.
Ibrahim Maza starred with direct involvement in both Leverkusen goals. He scored the equalizer with a clinical finish and was the architect of the winning goal through his impressive solo run. That performance placed him as the player with the highest fantasy points (127 points) in this match, followed by Scherhant (109) and Treu (64). The win saw Leverkusen collect full points and extend their unbeaten record at home.
"We showed character and did not give up after falling behind. Maza and Schick were a deadly combination today," said Carles Martínez after the match.
For Freiburg, this defeat is a heavy blow after their impressive start. Nevertheless, their position in the upper table can still be maintained if they can bounce back in the next match. Meanwhile Leverkusen, with three more points, are closing in tightly on their rivals in the Champions League zone. The big question: can Schick maintain his scoring consistency throughout the season, and will Leverkusen return to the title race like two seasons ago?
