GOALS FROM JEREMIE FRIMPONG and Amine Adli earned Bayer Leverkusen a 2-1 win at Heidenheim on Saturday, sending Xabi Alonso’s Bundesliga leaders eight points clear of Bayern Munich in second.
Leverkusen’s win extended their unbeaten run to 32 games this season, equalling the record set by Hansi Flick’s Bayern across the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
Frustrated by the resolute hosts early, Leverkusen eventually broke through right before half-time when Frimpong’s deflected shot found the net.
Midfield maestro Florian Wirtz hit the crossbar late but helped seal the result shortly after, laying on a perfect pass for Adli to round the goalkeeper and score.
Heidenheim’s Tim Kleindienst headed in a goal with three minutes remaining, the first time Leverkusen had conceded in six hours in the league.
“I’m not going to celebrate the 500-day mark,” said Xabi Alonso, who took charge of Leverkusen in October 2022 with the club in the relegation zone.
“I’m satisfied with the game, with the performance and the result.
“We’re in a good phase. We’ll keep going and focus on one game after the next.”
“Overall the performance was good. I’m really happy, but we have to keep going.”
Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund were held 1-1 at Wolfsburg, Yannick Gerhardt’s second-half header cancelling out an early Niclas Fuellkrug goal. The draw leaves Dortmund one point clear of fifth-placed RB Leipzig, who beat Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0 in the evening kick off.
Serhou Guirassy scored his first goal of the calendar year as 10-man Stuttgart won 2-1 at Darmstadt to go five clear of Dortmund in third.
Guirassy headed in from close range 15 minutes in for his 18th league goal of the season.
Both sides scored in second-half injury time as Stuttgart held on despite being reduced to 10 men late in the first half.
Union Berlin secured a crucial victory in their bid to avoid the drop, American midfielder Brenden Aaronson scoring late for a 1-0 win at Hoffenheim.
In Serie A, Juventus trail leaders Inter Milan by nine points after being held 2-2 at relegation-threatened Verona, as a 1-1 draw with Genoa left champions Napoli deep in crisis.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side had their league title hopes further damaged following an entertaining encounter at the Stadio Bentegodi in which Adrien Rabiot stopped Juve from losing a third consecutive match.
That poor form means that Juve are not only watching Inter charge off into the distance, they are now also looking over their shoulders at AC Milan.
A win at Monza on Sunday night would allow Milan, two points behind Juve in third, to snatch second spot from their rivals.
Napoli’s draw was another heavy blow for the ailing Serie A champions ahead of the visit of Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Cyril Ngonge saved a home point for Napoli in the final minute after Morten Frendrup had given Genoa the lead with a powerful first-time finish just after half-time.
Napoli ran away with the league title last season but are now 27 points behind Inter in ninth spot meaning their chances of a place in next season’s revamped Champions League are increasingly slim.
Six points separate Napoli from fourth-placed Atalanta and that gap could easily be extended to nine.
“The players do what they can but things just don’t go our way,” said Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri, whose position is under serious threat after collecting just 15 points from 12 matches since taking over in November.
In Spain’s La Liga, Robert Lewandowski’s brace snatched champions Barcelona a 2-1 win over lowly Celta Vigo to leave them third, trailing leaders Real Madrid by seven points.
Xavi Hernandez’s side needed a stoppage-time penalty converted by Lewandowski at the second attempt to find a way past a Celta Vigo side battling relegation, down in 17th place.
Lewandowski slammed the visitors ahead at Balaidos before half-time but Iago Aspas levelled for Rafa Benitez’s Celta early in the second half.
Barcelona tamely struggled to find a way through before being gifted a late spot-kick for a clumsy foul on Lamine Yamal, which Lewandowski dispatched for his 12th goal of the season.
Atletico Madrid had moved third in the table earlier in the day with a thumping 5-0 victory over Las Palmas.
Marcos Llorente and Angel Correa struck twice each and Memphis Depay was also on target as Diego Simeone’s side strolled to victory despite resting key player Antoine Griezmann.
Trailing league leaders Real Madrid by 10 points despite the victory, Simeone decided to keep the French forward fresh for Tuesday’s Champions League last 16 visit to face Inter Milan.
