Led by an outstanding Florian Wirtz, German football champions Bayer Leverkusen made a triumphant comeback in the Champions League. After an absence of almost two years, coach Xabi Alonso’s team easily won 4-0 (4-0) at Feyenoord Rotterdam.
On Thursday, national player Wirtz in particular showed his class in his Champions League debut. With his brace before half-time (5th minute/36th minute), the 21-year-old made a fitting debut in the elite league of European club football and silenced the notorious “De Kuip” in the Rotterdam district of Feijenoord early on. According to data service provider Opta, Wirtz is even the first German professional to score more than one goal in his Champions League debut.
Outstanding premier class debut for Wirtz
A goal by Alejandro Grimaldo (30th) and an own goal by Rotterdam’s weak German goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther (45th) made things clear before the break. The majority of the 50,000 spectators, who had loudly created the notorious atmosphere long before kick-off, sent their modest but always fighting team off to the dressing room with a chorus of whistles.
The Dutch runners-up, who had a mediocre start to the season with just one win in four games in the Eredivisie, hardly had a chance against the German champions. Shortly after kick-off, Wirtz scored a well-considered goal to take the lead after Robert Andrich won the ball in midfield.
Feyenoord in crisis temporarily overwhelmed defensively
Rotterdam only held out until Leverkusen’s second goal by Grimaldo, which came about somewhat luckily after half an hour, as the preparatory work by Dutch international Jeremie Frimpong was deflected. Leverkusen were lucky that the supposedly quick equaliser (9th minute) by Ramiz Zerrouki was whistled off for offside.
Leverkusen continued to strike efficiently and with a little luck until half-time, breaking Feyenoord’s resistance. When Wirtz scored his second goal, Frimpong skilfully played a well-considered cross, which the young international player converted with great skill. Shortly before the whistle, Wellenreuther then unluckily put a header from Edmond Tapsoba into the net himself.
Recommended editorial content
Here you will find external content selected by our editors that enriches the article with additional information. You can display or hide the external content with one click.
I agree to the external content being displayed to me. This means that personal data can be transmitted to third-party platforms. You can find more information about this in the data protection settings. You can find these at the very bottom of our page in the footer, so that you can manage or revoke your settings at any time.
Feyenoord coach Brian Priske, who took over the Dutch team from Arne Slot, who had moved to Liverpool, swore his team in again at half-time and made quick substitutions. Feyenoord did indeed fight back once again and Leverkusen did no more than was necessary, especially offensively, three days before the factory club duel against VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga.
Last season’s Europa League finalists kept the ball moving for minutes when they had possession, further tiring the Dutch team. In a game that had long been decided, Alonso took star player Wirtz off the field around twenty minutes before the end. Even without the match winner, Leverkusen managed to secure the victory.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240919-930-237641/1
This is a message directly from the dpa news channel.
