Bayer Leverkusen Clinch Dramatic Late Victory Against Borussia Mönchengladbach in Bundesliga Opener
Bayer Leverkusen, the defending Bundesliga champions, were pushed to the limit by Borussia Mönchengladbach in their season-opening clash. The visitors fought back from a 2-0 deficit to level the game at 2-2 before Xabi Alonso’s side found a trademark late goal to secure all three points.
Florian Wirtz was the hero for Leverkusen, scoring the winning goal in the 100th minute amid torrential rain at Borussia-Park. The young midfielder had earlier given his team a 2-0 lead, but Gladbach refused to give up, leveling the score through Nico Elvedi and Tim Kleindienst.
In a dramatic finish, Leverkusen were awarded a penalty, and Wirtz stepped up to score the winner on the rebound after his initial effort was saved by Jonas Omlin.
“It was an intense first Bundesliga game for us. A lot of things happened in the second half, it was full of emotion right to the end,” said Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso.
Elsewhere in Europe
Paris Saint-Germain sent a strong message to their Ligue 1 rivals with a dominant 6-0 victory over Montpellier at Parc des Princes. Bradley Barcola scored twice, while Marco Asensio, Achraf Hakimi, Warren Zaïre-Emery, and Lee Kang-in also found the net for the Parisian giants.
In La Liga, Villarreal secured a dramatic late win over Sevilla, with Ayoze Pérez scoring the winner in stoppage time. Celta Vigo currently lead the Spanish top flight after earning their second victory of the season, beating Valencia 3-1 at home.
As the new football season kicks into high gear, fans can look forward to an action-packed schedule, including the build-up to Euro 2024, the ongoing Champions League and FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and the return of the Women’s World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations.
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