Florian Wirtz Stars with Hat Trick as Bayer Leverkusen Dominates Werder Bremen
Bayer Leverkusen secured their first-ever Bundesliga title in a resounding 5-0 victory over Werder Bremen on Matchday 29. The match was a fitting end to an incredible season for Leverkusen, who have been the league’s most consistent team throughout the campaign.
Florian Wirtz was the star of the show, coming off the bench to score a magnificent hat-trick. The 20-year-old midfielder opened the scoring with a stunning 20-yard strike, before adding two more goals in the second half to put the game beyond doubt.
Other notable performers for Leverkusen included Moussa Diaby, who provided two assists, and Exequiel Palacios, who scored Leverkusen’s fourth goal. Werder Bremen, meanwhile, were simply outclassed and offered little resistance.
Palyer Ratings
Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-3)
Hradecky (6.5): A solid performance from the Finnish goalkeeper, who made a number of important saves.
Tapsoba (7): Another excellent display from the young defender, who was a rock at the back for Leverkusen.
Tah (7): A commanding performance from the experienced defender, who marshaled the Leverkusen defense with authority.
Kossounou (6.5): A solid performance from the defender, who was part of a Leverkusen backline that kept a clean sheet.
Hincapié (5.5): Unlucky not to score with a header in the first half, but overall a decent performance from the defender.
Xhaka (7.5): A commanding performance from the midfielder, who scored a superb free-kick and was a constant threat in the Werder Bremen box.
Andrich (6.5): A tidy performance from the midfielder, who provided an assist for Wirtz’s first goal.
Tella (6): A lively performance from the winger, who caused Werder Bremen plenty of problems with his pace and trickery.
Adli (5.5): A quiet performance from the attacking midfielder, but he did hit the bar with a well-struck effort.
Hofmann (6.5): A good performance from the attacker, who won a penalty and provided an assist for Wirtz’s second goal.
Boniface (6): A promising performance from the striker, who scored a penalty and provided an assist for Xhaka’s goal.
Werder Bremen (3-5-2)
Zetterer (4.5): Started well with several crucial saves, but couldn’t prevent Leverkusen’s onslaught. Had a hand in Xhaka’s goal and Wirtz’s first.
Veljkovic (4): Decent first half, highlighted by a block on Hofmann’s dangerous shot. Struggled later on.
Gross (4): With the score at 1-0 at halftime, the defense and Gross were holding their own. In the second half, he prevented another Wirtz goal with a timely block.
Malatini (4): Caught out by Adli’s shot but didn’t pay the price. Later made an effective intervention on Boniface.
Agu (2.5): Had a difficult match from the start, struggling to defend against Tella. Conceded the penalty and was imprecise in attack. Substituted by Deman.
Schmid (4): Mixed performance with 6/12 duels won, some good clearances, but 18 balls lost under Leverkusen’s intense pressing.
Lynen (4.5): Similar match to his teammate above. The difference is that he showed better technical accuracy (6 balls lost).
Bittencourt (3): Willing but ineffective against Leverkusen. When he had the ball, he was often closed down and his shot was easily saved by Hradecky. Substituted by Hansen-Aaroen.
Weiser (5): Seemed motivated to play against his former club. However, he was still beaten by Hincapié, who came close to scoring. Defensively not as exposed as one might think, he even managed to get forward with some success (40th minute).
Ducksch (3): Nothing to show for himself offensively, he had to defend more, so it was a very difficult match for him.
Woltemade (3): A few well-placed passes but mostly had to watch the damage unfold with only 28 balls touched. Substituted by Kownacki.
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