Borussia Dortmund won a 4-2 victory in Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday, spoiling Xabi Alonso’s last game in the home canoe while increasing his hopes of the Champions League. Visitors came from a drop while the early strike from Jeremie Frimpong was canceled by the goals of Julian Brandt, Julian Ryerson, Karim Adeyemi and Serhou Guirassy. Alonso, who took Leverkusen to a double in the league and cup last year in his first full season in charge, announced his imminent departure from the club on Friday, with the probable destination of the Spaniard.
Alonso told journalists that its exit was “emotional and that this club will remain in my heart forever”, adding that it “would forget today’s result quite quickly”.
The defense of the title of Leverkusen failed with a 2-2 draw in Freiburg last Sunday, but fans of the house were in the mood of celebration, 12 months after Alonon took them to a first title of league in 120 years of history.
The central defender of Leverkusen, Jonathan Tah, who also leaves at the end of the season, was full of praise for Alonso.
“He has a certain aura, he is an excellent coach and a great person. We can be grateful to him,” said Tah.
Before the match, Leverkusen celebrated Alonso’s time at the club while fans chanted ‘Danke Xabi’ and held signs with photos of the Basque coach, but Dortmund was not in mood to celebrate.
The hosts dominated the opening period, pinning sleeping in their own half. Only a few spectacular stops by Dortmund goalkeeper, Gregor Kobel, who made seven stops before half-time, kept Leverkusen at a distance.
Leverkusen’s pressure finally said disappeared 31 minutes when Florian Wirtz traveled the penalty surface, attracted three defenders before throwing the ball in Frimpong who curled up in the upper corner.
Dortmund Roar Back
Dortmund had barely left their own half, but the goal rocked them to life. Visitors equalized two minutes later, Adeyemi reducing the ball so that Brandt went to the house.
Brandt designed the two second minutes of Dortmund before the break, winning a bullet near the touchline and finding a crossing at Pascal Gross, who swivel and passed Ryerson to train a low shot in the net.
Adeyemi and Guirassy, who each scored hugs in the 4-0 game of Wolfsburg, last week, went on the match sheet in the space of four minutes in the second half.
Guirassy now has 33 goals in 44 games in his first season in Dortmund.
Wirtz, which was linked to a summer departure, posed a late consolation goal for Jonas Hofmann in time.
Alonso will take Leverkusen once again, during the next week’s match in MAYPIED, but Leverkusen cannot finish more or less than the second.
At one point, seated 12th, Dortmund collected 19 of the 21 possible points and is now sitting at a point behind Freiburg, fourth.
“It’s not in our hands, but we are a little closer and we have one last last week at home,” coach Niko Kovac told Dazn.
Dortmund’s work was a little easier when the third Eintracht Frankfurt was held in a 2-2 draw at home against St Pauli later Sunday.
Rasmus Kristensen opened the scoring with an astonishing after only 23 seconds, but St Pauli quickly transformed the match as goals of Manolis Saliakas and Morgan Guilavogui pulled visitors in front.
Former Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi equalized for 71 minutes and had the ball again in the net in the dying stages, but the goal was shifted for handball.
Frankfurt remains third, but will face Freiburg, fourth, next week, the winners guaranteed to play in the Champions League. Dortmund must beat Holstein Kiel relegated to home to join them.
During the last Sunday match, Stuttgart dominated the 10 Augsburg man at home in a 4-0 victory, with goals from Atakan Karazor, Nick Woltemade, Enzo Millot and Ermedin Demirovic.
Stuttgart will face Arminia Bielefeld of third division in the final of the German Cup on May 24.
(With the exception of the title, this story has not been published by NDTV staff and is published from a unionized flow.)
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