Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso praised his team's determination after a commanding 5-1 win over Freiburg on Saturday (Dec 21), stressing the contest was more difficult than the scoreline suggested. Leverkusen seemingly had little trouble cruising past Freiburg at home in the Bundesliga clash, with Patrik Schick scoring four times and Florian Wirtz adding another.
"The result may have been spectacular and Patrik scored four goals but the game was not as easy as it seemed. We had a good opponent and we had to prepare our actions intelligently," Alonso told reporters.
He praised Schick's impressive performance, noting it was the result of the team's collective effort. "When a striker scores four goals you can't complain. Patrik also does a lot of work off the ball and when he does that well, that's why he scores the goal," he said. "He helps the team and they make the chances for him."
The win puts second-placed Leverkusen on 32 points, four off Bayern Munich who thrashed RB Leipzig 5-1 on Friday.
Mainz shocks Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1
Brazilian goalkeeper Kaua Santos endured a game to forget as his Eintracht Frankfurt was shocked by 10-man Mainz 3-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Frankfurt had 34 shots at goal compared to nine by the visitor, which played with a man less from the 21st minute after captain Nadiem Amiri was sent off for catching Ellyes Skhiri’s right ankle with his studs.
Santos played out a short pass to Skhiri, who was immediately under pressure from two Mainz players. Skhiri sent the ball looping back toward Santos, who deflected it onto the crossbar, from where it rebounded back off Santos’ arm and in.
Mainz’s Paul Nebel then scored with a deflected shot for 2-0, and Santos was at fault again when a botched pass invited another Mainz attack. Nebel grabbed his second goal in the 58th.
Rasmus Kristensen, who struck the crossbar in the first half, scored Frankfurt’s consolation in the 75th.
