Patrik Schick is a major reason for Bayer Leverkusen’s recent success in the Bundesliga. (Photo by … [+]
It was a perfect end for Bayer Leverkusen to 2024. On Saturday, Die Werkself answered Bayern Munich’s 5-1 win over RB Leipzig with their very own 5-1 smashing of SC Freiburg. While it wouldn’t be surprising that Florian Wirtz (51’) scored, Patrik Schick’s four-goal (45’, 67’,74’ & 77’) performance stood out. Vincenzo Grifo (55’) scored Freiburg’s only goal.
“When a striker scores four goals, you can’t complain,” Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso said. “Patrik also does a lot of work off the ball, and when he does that well, he scores the goals. He helps the team, and they make the chances for him.”
The result against Freiburg sees Bayer Leverkusen move into second place just four points behind Bayern Munich ahead of the winter break. It is actually a remarkable turnaround for Leverkusen. Undefeated last year, Die Werkself struggled to start the season.
While going through the entire 2023/24 campaign without a defeat, Leverkusen lost on matchday 2 against RB Leipzig. While the 1-1 draw in Munich on matchday 5 was expected, the 2-2 draw against Holstein Kiel the following week was another unexpected two points dropped.
Then came three more draws. Leverkusen struggled to a 2-2 draw against Werder Bremen on matchday 8, drew Stuttgart 0-0 on matchday 9, and then threw away another two points in a 1-1 draw against VfL Bochum.
With Bayern Munich nine points ahead in the standings at this stage, the Bundesliga title seemed out of reach for Leverkusen. But then came five wins in a row, and with Bayern Munich dropping points, Leverkusen narrowed that gap to just four points.
So, what has changed? One big aspect has been the reemergence of Czech striker Schick. In Leverkusen’s five-game winning streak, Schick started in four games, only missing the 2-1 win against St. Pauli. In that stretch, Schick has scored nine goals.
Schick has scored a goal every 56 minutes this season. According to the Transfermarkt database, among strikers with ten goals or more, Schick ranks ahead of Harry Kane, who scores every 75 minutes, and Egyptian sensation Omar Marmoush (every 98 minutes).
Granit Xhaka has been in excellent form lately (Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images)
More importantly, Schick has been more efficient than his teammate Victor Boniface. The Nigerian forward has managed to score just every 110 minutes.
Without a doubt, Boniface was a big part of Leverkusen’s title-winning season last year. But the Nigerian also missed time with an injury last year, and there is undoubtedly a sense that Schick is a better fit in Leverkusen’s combination play. As a result, his return to form has been a big reason for Leverkusen’s reemergence as a title contender this season.
Another big reason for Leverkusen’s return to form is Granit Xhaka. The 32-year-old Swiss midfielder played most of the Euros with an injury and then struggled for form at the start of the season. Those injury concerns are now a thing of the past, as Xhaka was among the best players in Leverkusen’s 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League and then against Augsburg last week.
On Saturday, against Freiburg, Xhaka completed 94% of his passes and had 92 touches. With Xhaka back to his best, Leverkusen has more stability in midfield, which has also led to more defensive stability.
According to a report by the German magazine Kicker, Leverkusen’s expected goals against (xGa) dropped from 1.24 to 0.8 heading into the game against Freiburg. Although Freiburg scored, the xG was 2.89 to 0.68 in Leverkusen’s favor.
Leverkusen’s return to form then comes down to multiple factors. With Schick now fully fit, Leverkusen has one of the most impactful strikers in German football up front. Xhaka’s return to fitness has led to more stability in midfield, which has also helped to take the pressure off the defensive line.
Finally, Alonso’s side also seems to have to come to terms with the new Champions League format. The new format means two extra games in the group stage, and while Leverkusen went deep in the Europa League last year, the Champions League is a different beast.
With all that in mind, Leverkusen is now in a comfortable situation. In the Champions League, Alonso’s team has been among the best. In the Bundesliga, Bayern is still within a four-point reach, which should make for an exciting second half of the season and a title race that could go down to the wire.
