Stuttgart run riot in Leverkusen

Stuttgart are level on points with Bayer Leverkusen after a memorable first-half performance.

Jamie Leweling and Deniz Undav demolished Bayer Leverkusen with a perfect first-half performance for VfB Stuttgart. The win put Sebastian Hoeneß’s side level on points with their lackluster hosts.

Leweling’s name was linked with Bournemouth all week as the Premier League club are looking for Antoine Semenyo’s replacement. The German international gave them additional reason to go for him with a first-half brace in the biggest match of the Bundesliga weekend.

The 24-year-old winger put the visitors ahead with a brilliant finish from Undav’s assist inside the first ten minutes. The duo combined once again when Leweling scored from outside the box, but it was disallowed because Undav was in an offside position.

On the contrary, it was a horrible half for Leverkusen’s young center-back Jeanuel Belocian. The 20-year-old Frenchman first conceded a penalty-kick with Joshua Vagnoman getting the better of him. Maximilian Mittelstädt doubled Stuttgart’s lead with a composed finish.

It was three in the 45th minute with Undav assisting Leweling’s second of the game. The visitors ended their flawless half with Undav joining the scoresheet with a measured finish from Chris Führich’s through pass. Alexander Nübel’s only save came in the half-hour mark from Equi Fernández’s attempt.

As expected, Kasper Hjulmand made a couple of changes at the start of the second-half, but it took them a while before showing improvement. Alejandro Grimaldo pulled one back for the hosts from the penalty-kick with 25 minutes left to play.

Hjulmand followed it up with another double substitution as they aim to further reduce the deficit. Although that plan was unsuccessful, Stuttgart created nothing of note in the last 20 minutes. Hoeneß handed a competitive debut for January signing Jeremy Arevalo in place of the man of the match – Leweling. Ermedin Demirovic also returned to action after a long injury layoff.

The hosts remain above Stuttgart in the table on the virtue of a better goal difference. Apart from Eliesse Ben Seghir, Leverkusen could welcome back three AFCON participants when they are in action on Tuesday away at newly-promoted Hamburg. 

A couple of hours earlier, Stuttgart will kickoff the matchday 17 action at home against Eintracht Frankfurt. Like Ben Seghir, Bilal El Khannouss will stay in Morocco as the hosts face Nigeria in the semi-final the following day.