Bayer Leverkusen continues to showcase a flair for dramatic finishes, clinching a thrilling 3-2 victory against Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday thanks to a goal in the 11th minute of injury time. This match marked the opening of the German Bundesliga season and saw Leverkusen surrender a two-goal advantage before ultimately securing the win.
Under the management of Xabi Alonso, the reigning Bundesliga champions remained undefeated throughout last season, fueled by numerous late-game heroics and comebacks. The trend continued at Borussia-Park, where Florian Wirtz had a penalty saved but managed to convert the rebound for the last-minute victory.
Granit Xhaka opened the scoring for Leverkusen with a powerful strike from 25 yards out in the 12th minute. Wirtz then doubled the advantage in the 38th minute after Borussia failed to clear the danger. Leverkusen came close to extending their lead, hitting the woodwork twice, while a goal from Borussia was disallowed after a video review just before halftime.
The hosts began their comeback in the second half when Nico Elvedi found the net in the 59th minute. New signing Tim Kleindienst then equalized for Monchengladbach in the 85th minute, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
In the dying moments of the match, Leverkusen was awarded a penalty after a foul in the area. Although goalkeeper Jonas Omlin saved Wirtz’s initial attempt, Wirtz followed up to score the rebound, extending Leverkusen’s unbeaten league streak to 35 matches.
The match experienced a brief stoppage early in the second half due to fans igniting flares in the stands, which caused smoke to cover part of the field.