LEVERKUSEN:
Alex Grimaldo scored a free-kick in every half as Bayer Leverkusen survived two pink playing cards to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 at house on Friday in new coach Kasper Hjulmand’s debut.
Grimaldo curled from exterior the field 10 minutes in and Patrik Schick transformed a penalty to offer Leverkusen a 2-0 lead at half-time.
Can Uzun pulled one again for Frankfurt with 52 minutes gone to maintain the guests within the match.
Leverkusen’s hopes of a primary win of the season appeared doubtful when captain Robert Andrich obtained his marching orders for a second yellow card with half an hour left — and appeared worse when Equi Fernandez was additionally despatched off in stoppage time.
However Grimaldo, handed the captain’s armband when Andrich was despatched off, as soon as once more curled in a free kick with eight minutes gone to seal a well-known victory.
“After all within the second half we had been lacking a participant and the sport was troublesome — it was not simple to create one thing,” Schick mentioned to Sky Germany, including “the defenders did an unbelievable job as we speak.”
The striker, who scored a penalty for the second straight league match, praised Grimaldo’s free-kick potential, saying “this place for him is like scoring from the spot. He has this method, this high spin, and he does it completely.”
Appointed on Monday within the seat vacated by former Manchester United supervisor Erik ten Hag, sacked after simply two video games, Hjulmand opened his account with a win.
“What a recreation,” the 53-year-old Danish coach mentioned, including “we did not have many probabilities, however we had power.”
Grimaldo, broadly tipped to affix the exodus exiting Leverkusen this summer season, put the hosts forward simply 10 minutes in, reducing a free kick over the wall and in, hitting the submit after which the again of goalie Michael Zetterer.
Schick, one other holdout from Bayer’s unimaginable unbeaten season in 2023-24, doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time, cooly changing from the spot after Nathan Tella was fouled.
Uzun reduce the deficit when his strike was deflected previous Leverkusen goalie Flekken with 52 minutes performed.
Germany midfielder Andrich’s second yellow for a innocent however lazy studs up problem turned up the warmth on the house aspect, who had not received a league match since April.
Leverkusen misplaced one other man in stoppage time when Fernandez was despatched from the sector however the hosts could be the subsequent to attain when Grimaldo as soon as once more confirmed his prowess from set items, threading the ball expertly house.
The consequence prolonged Leverkusen’s current file in opposition to Frankfurt, significantly at house. Leverkusen have now overwhelmed Frankfurt of their previous six video games and haven’t misplaced to them at house since 2013.
