Leverkusen’s lead slips away in a dramatic Champions League night
In a pulsating Champions League group-stage encounter at the BayArena, Bayer Leverkusen briefly took the lead before being pegged back by PSV Eindhoven. The home side looked to build on an encouraging start to the night, only to see their hard-won advantage vanish as the clock ticked into the final 20 minutes. The stage was set for a compelling contrast in styles: Leverkusen’s forward thrust against PSV’s counter-punching resilience.
Early drama and a VAR reversal
The opening minutes signaled an intent to attack from Leverkusen, with Alejandro Grimaldo testing the keeper and Aleix García forcing a save in a sustained siege on the visitors’ goal. In the fifth minute, a perfectly weighted cross from Ismael Saibari found the run of Ivan Perišić, but the assistant referee’s flag spared PSV after a brief VAR check, ruling the goal out for offside. The early setback only hardened Leverkusen’s resolve, and the hosts continued to push forward with intensity.
Home momentum grows but clinical finishing wavers
Leverkusen carved out multiple chances, with Grimaldo striking the post from a sharp angle in the 11th minute and Aleix García forcing a save from Matěj Kovář in the 15th. Malik Tillman, filling in for the injured or departed Florian Wirtz, also came close as Leverkusen sought a decisive breakthrough. Despite the creative spark, the finishing touch remained elusive as PSV weathered the storm and looked to strike on the break.
Kofane’s moment and a defensive lapse
Then came a moment of decisive opportunism. In the 65th minute, the 19-year-old Christian Kofane reacted quickly to a loose ball in the box after a dangerous sequence, poking it past Kovář to give Leverkusen the lead. It looked like the hosts might press home their advantage, but a faulty decision in the box soon negated that momentum. A sloppy build-up and lapse in concentration allowed PSV to reset and unleash a swift counter, culminating in a moment that underscored the match’s theme: a game of fine margins.
PSV’s response and the equalizer
PSV steadied itself after the setback and, in what became a defining trend of the night, dominated possession in the closing stages. The Dutch side finally equalized in dramatic fashion as a well-worked move culminated in a curling finish from Ismael Saibari from the left channel. Leverkusen goalkeeper Robert Flekken could not reach the ball, and the scoreline was level once more. The visitors’ pressing smothered Leverkusen’s attempts to regain control, with Jerdy Schouten’s poor back-pass having initially threatened a disastrous moment for the hosts before the equalizer arrived.
Late chances but no winner; Grimaldo’s final chance
With the clock running down, Leverkusen surged again in search of a late winner, but the finishing touch eluded them. In the 93rd and a half minute, Grimaldo found space and fired a low shot that Kovář parried to safety, preserving the 1-1 draw. PSV, meanwhile, could point to a historically lopsided possession statistic in the final period, but failed to convert that control into a second goal and three points.
What it means for Leverkusen and a look ahead
For Leverkusen, the result caps a night where they looked the more ambitious side but left with a share of the spoils. The draw leaves them still chasing a first league win after a 2-2 stalemate in Copenhagen on matchday one, underscoring the need for sharper finishing and cleaner execution in the Champions League’s relentless environment. After the match, Grimaldo reflected on the performance saying, “I think we played one of our best games. We created many chances, but this is the Champions League. We’re sad because we deserved more, but we must keep working.”
Bundesliga next up
With the European night behind them, Leverkusen turn their attention to domestic duty. They host Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday at 15:30 local time, with a live-ticker on sportschau.de expected to capture the ongoing narrative around a team still aiming to translate promise into result.
