Alex Lee
Bayer Leverkusen face the fans after losing to RB Leipzig.
After 463 days and 43 domestic matches without a loss, Bayer Leverkusen were finally defeated by RB Leipzig in a 2-3 loss at home. This result marked the end of a historic run during which Leverkusen finished first in the Bundesliga, comfortably beating out second-place VfB Stuttgart by 17 points to end Bayern Munich’s run of 11 straight Bundesliga titles.
Prior to the game, Leipzig, led by manager Marco Rose, had quietly been putting together an impressive run of form. They hadn’t lost since February, and despite losing key player Dani Olmo to Barcelona, the team still remained full of talent and hope. However, they did head into the game missing their captain, Willi Orbán, and the indispensable Amadou Haidara in midfield.
As the match kicked off, the reigning champions got off to a strong start, creating a number of dangerous chances from a wide range of players. Loïs Openda and Benjamin Šeško worked hard to pull Leipzig back into the game, but it was Leverkusen who struck first, scoring in the 38th minute through a neat finish within the six-yard box from right winger Jeremie Frimpong. The match continued in Leverkusen’s favor, with Florian Wirtz finding Alejandro Grimaldo to double their lead just before halftime.
There would still be more action before the break, as a prolonged period of added time gave Leipzig’s Kevin Kampl the opportunity to strike back with a header following a deep run from midfield. Leipzig carried this momentum into the second half, enjoying the majority of the possession and major chances. In the 57th minute, Openda capitalized on a counter-attack to level the scoring at 2-2.
With the game nearing its final minutes, Openda crucially found the net again to send Leverkusen closer to defeat. Despite late drama and a penalty check, Leipzig held on to hand Leverkusen their first domestic loss since May 2023.
Speaking after the match, Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso praised Leipzig and commented on how his team can look to improve: “Congratulations to Marco and RB Leipzig on the win. We’re taking a lot of positives and negatives from this game… In the second half, we had no control and gave Leipzig too much space. We didn’t do well in the last line. We will learn from these mistakes. It’s not good to let an opponent come back after a 2-0 lead. But it’s a process. We’re still early in the season.”
Leverkusen recovered well after the loss, winning their next two games, but have since drawn twice and currently sit in sixth place — four spots behind Leipzig. The team will look to bounce back and climb the table as they enter the next phase of the season.
Editor’s Note: This article was written at the end of October.
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