Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen come from behind to inflict first defeat on Freiburg
Bayer Leverkusen came from behind to end Freiburg's unbeaten start to the season with a 2-1 win, as Patrik Schick became the first player in the club's history to score in their opening six Bundesliga matches.
Leverkusen move within a point of top with comeback win over Freiburg...
Patrik Schick scored to seal a 2-1 comeback win for Bayer Leverkusen against Freiburg, becoming the first player in Die Werkself's history to score in all of the opening six Bundesliga matches of a season.
The game got off to a delayed start after Freiburg's travelling supporters threw tennis balls onto the pitch, prompting a furious reaction from their own head coach, Julian Schuster.
There was reason for Breisgau-Brasilianer celebrations just 14 minutes in, though, as Niklas Beste surged forward and laid the ball off to Philipp Treu, who picked out Derry Scherhant at the back post with space to finish.
Their lead lasted only five minutes, as a slick move saw Moussa Diaby unselfishly square the ball to Schick, who flicked it perfectly into the path of Ibrahim Maza to convert.
Both sides continued to show intent as the first half progressed, with Igor Matanovic heading off target from Beste's free-kick delivery before Philipp Lienhart put Schick under enough pressure to prevent the striker from testing Mio Backhaus with his header from a corner.
Afonso Moreira cut a frustrated figure at times in the first half as the 21-year-old continues to wait for his first Leverkusen goal, and that wait went on as he intercepted Beste's wayward pass, only for the full-back to get back and block his effort.
Facundo Medina and Maximilian Eggestein both tried their luck from outside the box after the restart, even if the former's effort drifted marginally wide and the latter's was routinely saved.
Schick blazed over the bar after Diaby's pass was headed into the striker's path, and both sides made mistakes that ultimately went unpunished in a cagey second half.
Die Werkself found the quality to go ahead with a quarter of an hour remaining, as Maza did superbly to keep the ball in play and create enough space to tee up Schick for a clinical first-time finish.
Three points in the bag! Well deserved, Lev! 🖤❤️ #B04SCF https://t.co/TR0etyxjWM
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) October 18, 2026
Nathan Tella fired marginally wide and Backhaus tipped Maza's venomous strike over as Leverkusen pushed for a cushion, but they did not need one to secure a fifth consecutive win across all competitions.
They now sit behind third-placed Freiburg only on goal difference after inflicting a first defeat in 10 competitive matches this season on the Breisgau-Brasilianer
MOTM. 💎🌟 #B04SCF https://t.co/A87o5v6KXq
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) October 18, 2026
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