Leverkusen Stunned at Home as Werder Bremen Secure Shock 2-0 Victory

Bayer Leverkusen suffered a surprising 2-0 home defeat to Werder Bremen on Saturday, missing a crucial opportunity to close the gap on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.

Xabi Alonso’s side, looking to bounce back from their midweek Champions League setback against Bayern, remained on 53 points. Meanwhile, Bayern, despite their own shock 3-2 loss to VfL Bochum, stayed top of the table with 61 points.

Alonso: “A Really Bad Day”

Speaking after the match, Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso expressed his disappointment with his team’s performance.

“For us, it was a bad game. A really bad day,” Alonso admitted in the post-match press conference. “After the loss in Munich, we wanted to be fresher, but it did not work. We will forget this game now and start believing again.”

The Spaniard pointed to a lack of control and coherence in Leverkusen’s play. “We did not have control, we played without logic. We did not attack the final third well. It was too hectic, and the chances we created were not clear ones.”

Early Blow and Late Frustration for Leverkusen

Werder Bremen, who entered the match on a five-game losing streak, stunned the BayArena crowd just seven minutes in. A defensive lapse allowed Romano Schmid to ghost in at the far post and slot home the opener, putting the visitors in front.

Leverkusen almost found an equaliser just before the break when Aleix Garcia’s stoppage-time free-kick rattled the crossbar, agonisingly close to leveling the scoreline.

Their troubles compounded in the second half when star midfielder Florian Wirtz suffered an ankle injury in the 54th minute and had to be substituted. Alonso later confirmed that Wirtz was taken to the hospital for scans, with his availability for Tuesday’s return leg against Bayern Munich still uncertain.

“It is too early to say,” Alonso stated. “We have to see what the scan results show and then we will have more information.”

Werder Seal the Win in Stoppage Time

Despite Leverkusen’s late pressure, their attacking efforts failed to produce an equaliser. Instead, it was Werder who capitalised in stoppage time, with Justin Njinmah sealing the victory and handing Bremen a much-needed three points.

The defeat raises concerns for Leverkusen ahead of their crucial Champions League clash, while Werder Bremen climb to 12th in the table on 33 points, breathing new life into their Bundesliga campaign.