Leverkusen battles to last-Minute victory in Bundesliga opener

After securing the German Super Cup last week, Bayer Leverkusen kicked off their Bundesliga campaign on Friday evening with a trip to Borussia Mönchengladbach. The reigning champions had to fight until the very last minute to claim their first victory.

A new season filled with challenges and expectations began for Xabi Alonso’s men, who faced their first test in the top tier of German football on Mönchengladbach’s turf.

Leverkusen quickly took control in the first half. Granit Xhaka opened the scoring with a stunning strike in the 12th minute, followed by Florian Wirtz doubling the lead in the 38th minute.

With a two-goal advantage at halftime, the visitors seemed poised for a comfortable win.

However, the second half saw Borussia Mönchengladbach mount a comeback. Nico Elvedi narrowed the gap in the 59th minute, and Tim Kleindienst equalized in the 85th minute, setting up a tense finish.

Just as the match appeared to be heading for a draw, Florian Wirtz, once again, secured the victory for Leverkusen by scoring from a penalty in the 100th minute, after a two-step execution.

Bayer Leverkusen narrowly won 3-2, sending a strong message for the 2024-2025 season.