Havertz bags another brace as Leverkusen sink Gladbach
Kai Havertz continued his excellent form with two goals in Bayer Leverkusen's 3-1 win over Gladbach.
| Kai Havertz. | Photo: Bayer 04 Leverkusen |
With no spectators allowed at Borussia-Park due to the league's strict hygiene guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic, the game was played in front of 13,000 cardboard cutouts of fans, who each paid €19 to be installed in the stands as part of a campaign that will see all proceeds go to local charities.
Havertz gave the visitors an early lead after seven minutes, sending the ball past Yann Sommer in the Gladbach net after he was played in behind by Karim Bellarabi.
The German international nearly doubled the lead shortly before the break, when he smashed a shot onto the post before a follow-up from Kerem Demirbay was blocked on the line by Nico Elvedi.
After having struggled to create clear-cut chances before the break, Gladbach equalised out of nothing in the beginning of the second half, when Marcus Thuram scored with a brilliant finish into the bottom left corner after he was set up well by Alassane Plea.
Leverkusen reclaimed the lead after 58 minutes, when Havertz scored from the penalty spot after Matthias Ginter brought down Karim Bellarabi in the box, before Sven Bender powered a header into the back of the net to make it 3-1 with 81 minutes on the clock.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund beat Wolfsburg 2-0 at Volkswagen Arena, Paderborn and Hoffenheim drew 1-1 while struggling Werder Bremen earned a vital 1-0 win over Freiburg, who had a goal disallowed shortly before the final whistle.
