"It could have been a rout, and there was not the merest smidgeon of doubt that Stuttgart deserved to take Die Werkself's place in the top four. This was not a setback or even a body blow. For Leverkusen it was a full stop and an acknowledgement that even if a miracle should transpire on the final day they could still make the top four but would need to beat Hamburg and have both Stuttgart and Hoffenheim lose at Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Monchengladbach respectively"
After the penultimate Bundesliga weekend, key outcomes remained unresolved: Champions League qualification, relegation, and a two-legged reprieve. Results and performances clarified several issues without official announcements. Doubt about Kasper Hjulmand’s future at Bayer Leverkusen ended after Stuttgart’s 3-1 victory. Aleix Garcia scored 34 seconds into the match, giving Leverkusen an early lead, but Ermedin Demirovic equalised with five minutes remaining in the first half. A late defensive confusion led to Maximilian Mittelstadt’s penalty, and Deniz Undav added a second-half goal. The scoreline flattered Leverkusen, as Stuttgart deserved to finish in the top four. The loss left Leverkusen needing a final-day win and multiple other results to reach the top four.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]