Leverkusen rout Freiburg to keep pressure on Bayern

BERLIN, Germany:

Florian Wirtz starred and Patrik Schick scored four goals as Bayer Leverkusen routed Freiburg 5-1 yesterday to keep the pressure on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich over the winter break.

Wirtz, who has yet to extend his Leverkusen contract, set up a hat trick for Schick and scored his seventh league goal of the season.

Leverkusen dominated but needed patience before Schick broke the deadlock with a chip over the goalkeeper right before the break.

Wirtz, who’d played Schick through, score after the break when he displayed brilliant close control to elude a defender before firing the ball inside the near post from a narrow angle.

Vincenzo Grifo pulled one back four minutes later, but Wirtz floated in a precise cross for Schick to head Leverkusen’s third in the 67th, then laid the ball back for Schick to fire Leverkusen’s fourth in the 74th.

“For a striker, it’s a dream to have this player behind you,” Schick said of Wirtz.

Schick scored again with a header to a corner three minutes later – the only goal that didn’t involve Wirtz.

Leverkusen stayed four points behind Bayern after their eighth straight win across all competitions.

GOALKEEPER’S WOES

Brazilian goalkeeper Kauã Santos endured a game to forget as his Eintracht Frankfurt were shocked by 10-man Mainz 3-1.

Frankfurt had 34 shots at goal compared to nine by the visitors, which played with a man less from the 21st minute after captain Nadiem Amiri was sent off for catching Ellyes Skhiri’s right ankle with his studs.

Santos had already conceded an unfortunate own goal. The keeper played out a short pass to Skhiri, who was immediately under pressure from two Mainz players. Skhiri sent the ball looping back towards Santos, who deflected it onto the crossbar, from where it rebounded back off Santos’ arm and in.

Mainz’s Paul Nebel then scored with a deflected shot for 2-0, and Santos was at fault again when a botched pass invited another Mainz attack. Nebel grabbed his second goal in the 58th.

Rasmus Kristensen, who struck the crossbar in the first half, scored Frankfurt’s consolation in the 75th.

Regular goalkeeper Kevin Trapp and reserve Jens Grahl were out with illness.

STUTTGART STUNNED

Johannes Eggestein fired promoted St Pauli to a 1-0 win at Stuttgart, last season’s runner-up. Stuttgart had won their last four games across all competitions.

Union Berlin’s winless run stretched to nine games across all competitions as Bo Svensson’s team slumped to a 4-1 defeat at Werder Bremen.

Holstein Kiel ended their five-game losing run by routing Augsburg 5-1, and Borussia Mönchengladbach won at Hoffenheim 2-1.

AP