Bayer Leverkusen continued their unbeaten run as they comfortably overcame a struggling Union Berlin side with a 4-0 win.
Leverkusen completely dominated the first half and if were not for several saves from Frederick Rønnow they could have gone into the first half with a bigger lead. The only goal of the first half was a long-range effort from Alex Grimaldo.
The second half started off a tighter affair until the 57th minute when Odilon Kossounou doubled Leverkusen’s lead from a corner. Jonathan Tah would add another for Leverkusen from another corner. The final goal was scored by substitute Nathan Tella with a hard shot that Rønnow could not keep out.
The win sees Leverkusen maintain their lead at the top of the Bundesliga heading into the international break.
Bayer Leverkusen:
Lukas Hradecky – 6
Odilon Kossounou – 7 – Was key in keeping Sheraldo Becker quiet for most of the game. His pace allows not only him to shine but also allows Jeremie Frimpong the ability to get forward and showcase his attacking quality. With the Africa Cup of Nations coming up in January, Josip Stanišić will have big shoes to fill.
Jonathan Tah – 7
Piero Hincapié – 6
Jeremie Frimpong – 6
Granit Xhaka – 6
Exequiel Palacios – 6
Alex Grimaldo – 8 – Once again showed why his free transfer in the summer was a coup. The Spaniard’s first goal was a top draw before once again showing his quality from set pieces to provide the assist to Tah’s goal. After his recent run of performances, it is safe to say that Grimaldo is the best left-back in the league by some distance.
Jonas Hofmann – 7 – Like Grimaldo, Hofmann’s transfer in the summer shows just how good Leverkusen’s business is. The 31-year-old has seamlessly fit into this Leverkusen attack and has proven to be a key piece whilst also taking the whole attacking burden off of Florian Wirtz.
Florian Wirtz – 7
Victor Boniface – 6
Others: Nathan Tella (6), Amine Adli (5), Noah Mbamba (-), Robert Andrich (-), Adam Hlozek (-)
Union Berlin:
Frederick Rønnow – 6 – Made several key saves to keep Leverkusen out in the first half but there were several moments in the second half where he could have done better to keep out Leverkusen’s efforts.
Paul Jaeckel – 5
Leonardo Bonucci – 5
Diogo Leite – 5
Josip Juranovic – 5
Janik Haberer – 5
Alex Kral – 5
Aïssa Laidouni – 5
Jérôme Roussillon – 5
Sheraldo Becker – 4
David Fofana – 5
Others: Robin Knoche (5), Christopher Trimmel (5), Brenden Aaronson (5), Kevin Behrens (5), Robin Gosens (5)
GGFN | Jack Meenan