May 12, (THEWILL)- Bayer Leverkusen etched their name into the history books on Saturday, extending their unbeaten run to a remarkable 50 games with a resounding 5-0 victory over struggling Bochum.
Patrik Schick’s brace paved the way for the emphatic win, keeping Xabi Alonso’s side on course to become the first team in Bundesliga history to complete an entire campaign without tasting defeat.
Bochum made a bright start, but their hopes of survival were dealt a significant blow on 15 minutes when Felix Passlack was sent off for a professional foul on Nathan Tella. Leverkusen capitalised on their numerical advantage, with Granit Xhaka striking the crossbar before Schick opened the scoring just before half-time, cleverly converting Arthur’s cross with a first-time finish.
Victor Boniface doubled Leverkusen’s lead from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time after Keven Schlotterbeck’s foul on Tella. Ominously for Bochum, Bayer had won all 24 league games in which they had scored first this season, and that record never looked in jeopardy after the break.
Schick and Boniface both squandered chances to extend the visitors’ lead, but Amine Adli’s towering header from a corner made it 3-0. Josip Stanisic curled home a sublime fourth before Alex Grimaldo tapped in the fifth, completing a miserable afternoon for the hosts.
Leverkusen can now achieve immortality by avoiding defeat in their final league game against Augsburg next week. Meanwhile, Bochum are left sweating on their Bundesliga status ahead of a final-day showdown with Werder Bremen, needing a point to guarantee survival.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
