Nottingham Guardian - Leverkusen 'shake off' PSG drubbing with win over Freiburg

Dismantled 7-2 by the European champions at the same venue five days ago, Leverkusen got back to winning ways thanks to strikes by Ernest Poku and Edmond Tapsoba either side of the break.

Leverkusen midfielder Jonas Hofmann told DAZN his side "shook off the 7-2 defeat" to PSG with Sunday's victory.

Leverkusen, the 2023-24 double winners, have now won four in a row in the Bundesliga as part of a seven-match domestic unbeaten run.

Coach Kasper Hjulmand, who replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag two games into the league season, is yet to taste defeat in the Bundesliga.

The loss was Freiburg's first in the league since August.

These two sides played out a 2-2 draw in May but only three players who started for Leverkusen on Sunday were at the club last season.

After 22 minutes, Spain midfielder Aleix Garcia played a clever one-two with Poku, who hit a low shot into the bottom right corner to give the hosts the lead.

It was the eighth time in eight league games this season Leverkusen have scored first.

The hosts doubled up seven minutes into the second half when Tapsoba muscled through the Freiburg defence to head in an Alejandro Grimaldo cross.

With 15 minutes remaining, Freiburg were reduced to 10 men when Philipp Lienhart picked up a second yellow.

"I feel everything was decided even before the red card. It feels good," Hofmann added of Leverkusen's performance.

In Sunday's late game, Stuttgart came from a goal down to beat lowly Mainz 2-1 and climb past Borussia Dortmund and Leverkusen into outright third in the table.

Germany midfielder Nadiem Amiri converted a penalty to put Mainz in the lead after 41 minutes, but Chris Fuehrich brought Stuttgart level with an incredible dipping shot from well outside the box just before half-time.

Deniz Undav scored the winner for Stuttgart with 11 minutes remaining, collecting a pass from his own goalkeeper and chipping in to score his first goal of the season.

X.Fitzpatrick--NG