Munich mistake... Munich equalizer in 97th minute → Leverkusen unbeaten 45 games
Bayer Leverkusen, who topped the German Bundesliga for the first time in 120 years, extended his unbeaten record to 45 games. Josip Stanisic, on loan from Bayern Munich, scored a dramatic equalizer.
Leverkusen drew 1-1 with Dortmund in the 30th round of the 2023-2024 Bundesliga at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, on the 22nd (Korea time) thanks to Stanich's equalizer in the 7th minute of second-half stoppage time.
Leverkusen, which confirmed its Bundesliga victory with a 5-0 defeat of Werder Bremen on the 15th, continued its unbeaten streak with 25 wins and 5 draws in 30 rounds.
The match, which took place at Dortmund's home stadium, was the biggest challenge for Leverkusen to achieve unbeaten Bundesliga title. Prior to today's match, Dortmund had 56 points and remained in fifth place, three points behind the fourth-place Leipzig RB. As it failed to secure a berth in the UEFA Champions League next season, it desperately needed one point. On the contrary, after facing Dortmund, the team will face off against mid- to low-ranking teams including VfB Stuttgart (home), Frankfurt (away), VfB Bochum (away), Augsburg (home), and FC Kaiserslautern (away). If it does not lose, it will increase hope for an unbeaten title.
As expected, the Dortmund expedition was not easy, and in the 36th minute of the second half, when it was 0-0, Dortmund's Niklas Fürk scored the first goal. There are only nine minutes left in regular time. Bayer Leverkusen's unbeaten record is on the verge of being broken.
But Bayer Leverkusen equalized when seven of eight minutes were added in the second half. Florian Wirtz headed a corner from the left side to equalize in the first round. The winner was confirmed, but coach Xavi Alonso was also delighted as he ran to the touchline and hugged his players.
Gongyo Lovedo Stanisic is a player on loan from Bayern Munich this season. As a boy in the Bayern area, he played for 1860 Munich Youth Team and SC Furstenfeldburg before being promoted to the Bayern Munich Reserve in 2019. Since making his debut for Bayern Munich's first team in the 2020-21 season, he has made 17 appearances in the 2021-22 season and 23 appearances in the 2022-23 season. Bayern Munich, with Alfonso Davis and Neusir Mazraoui at left fullback, have sent Stanisic on loan to Bayer Leverkusen ahead of this season.
However, Stanisic has become a key part of Alonso's tactics for Bayer Leverkusen, leading Leverkusen to a victory. In a match against Bayern Munich in February, when Bayer Leverkusen was crucial to their victory, he scored the opening goal in the 17th minute of the first half and led the team to a 3-0 victory. After the score, Stanisic did not celebrate as a courtesy to his former team. A Bayern Munich player has prevented Bayern Munich from winning and is leading his rival team's historic unbeaten streak.
Meanwhile, Alonso's official press conference, which had been on an unbeaten run, was canceled after the match. After the match, an alarm was raised at Signal Iduna Park urging the team to take the shortest route due to technical difficulties. The alarm was raised 40 minutes after the match, and the press conference hall along with the stadium was blocked.
Instead, Alonso, who met with reporters at the joint coverage area, said, "It feels great. We came here with the idea of playing a good game to compete, so we were more explosive than last week. We are champions, but we came here to play our best football. It's great." I thought it was unfair to lose because of the way we played, and our team's performance and concentration were incredible when we scored three points. "I do," he said, praising the players.
Dortmund's Gregor Kobel is frustrated by missing three crucial points to reach the Champions League.
"I feel frustrated because I could have avoided the game. I had to finish early or clear the ball and wait until the last minute," he said. "Leverkusen made several substitute shots during the game. We weren't sure where the space was. We had to adapt and unless the rhythm of the game is fixed, we can't rely on something to qualify for next season's Champions League. We have to win the game."