Bayer Leverkusen delivered a stunning 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park, marking the hosts’ first home league defeat of the season.
Xabi Alonso’s side exploded out of the gates, scoring three times within the opening 18 minutes to leave Dortmund reeling.
The match was delayed due to traffic congestion, and the home fans soon found themselves wishing they were still stuck in traffic.
Nathan Tella struck first, firing an exquisite volley past Gregor Kobel just 25 seconds into the game. Patrik Schick then added two goals, both expertly finished at the back post, to put Leverkusen 3-0 up.
Dortmund, severely depleted by injury and illness, responded through Jamie Gittens, who delicately dinked the ball over Lukas Hradecky to reduce the deficit. However, Schick’s second goal restored Leverkusen’s two-goal advantage, and the visitors took a 3-1 lead into halftime.
The second half was a more subdued affair, with Leverkusen seemingly cruising to victory. However, with just over 10 minutes remaining, Edmond Tapsoba brought down Julien Duranville in the box, and Serhou Guirassy slotted home the resulting penalty to make it 3-2.
