While the mood in Germany was darkened by tragedy as Bayern Munich’s planned Christmas display was cancelled to mourn the victims of the horrific attacks in Magdeburg, the Bundesliga’s top two clubs still made resounding statements on the pitch. Both Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen romped to 5-1 victories over RB Leipzig and Freiburg respectively, pulling away from the chasing pack and firmly establishing themselves as the only two clubs with a realistic shot at the Meisterschale.
Leverkusen’s Lethal Duo Demolish Freiburg
At the BayArena, Florian Wirtz and Patrik Schick ran riot as Die Werkself made a mockery of Freiburg’s usually stingy defense. The wunderkind midfielder Wirtz scored one and assisted three more, while Czech striker Schick found the net an incredible four times. Leverkusen, hammered by injuries in the first half of the season, are now just four points behind Bayern in second place with a game in hand.
He is an incredible player.
– Patrik Schick on Florian Wirtz
A modest Schick downplayed his own performance while heaping praise on his generational playmaking partner:
My game was OK today, but not top. Florian is an incredible player.
– Patrik Schick
Leverkusen’s Dynamite Attack
Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso has carefully managed Wirtz’s workload since returning from an ACL tear, but the 19-year-old looks back to his unstoppable best. With nine goals in his last five Bundesliga matches, Schick appears to be the perfect partner. Their telepathic understanding tore Freiburg to shreds:
- Wirtz: 1 goal, 3 assists
- Schick: 4 goals
Bayern Munich Bounce Back
24 hours earlier, Bayern Munich issued a reminder of their own. Stung by a surprise loss to Mainz last week, the reigning champions took out their frustrations on RB Leipzig. Despite Benjamin Sesko’s rapid equalizer after Jamal Musiala opened the scoring inside 30 seconds, Bayern quickly resumed normal service.
Leipzig coach Marco Rose, who had seemed close to the brink after a dismal Champions League campaign, earned a vote of confidence from CEO Oliver Mintzlaff. But containing this Bayern side, with Musiala in scorching form and Thomas Müller providing his usual brand of maverick ingenuity, may be beyond any team in the division – except perhaps Leverkusen.
Der Klassiker Looms Large
With Bayern’s lead over third place now at a daunting 9 points, the Bundesliga is rapidly boiling down to a two-team tussle. Bayern and Leverkusen are set to meet at the BayArena on February 15th in what could be a title race-defining clash. Neutrals will hope Die Werkself can stay within striking distance to set up a “Topspiel to end them all.”
After a decade of Bayern domination, the tantalizing prospect of a genuine challenger has emerged. Bayer Leverkusen and their electric young stars look poised to push the Bavarian Goliath right to the wire in the second half of the season. The anticipated showdown in February could be a pivotal moment in potentially the most exciting Bundesliga campaign in years.
