Even in the absence of coach Xabi Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen encountered no setbacks.
Despite Alonso’s touchline suspension, Bayer Leverkusen extended their undefeated streak to 48 games in all competitions with a commanding 5-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
While Alonso observed from the stands, his Bundesliga titleholders displayed no signs of fatigue following their 2-0 triumph against Roma in the Europa League semifinals just days prior.
Alonso opted for squad rotation, retaining only Edmond Tapsoba, Robert Andrich, and Granit Xhaka from the previous match in Rome. Brazilian winger Arthur marked his return from a serious thigh injury with his first start.
Xhaka opened the scoring for the visitors in the 12th minute with an impressive long-range strike.
Although Hugo Ekitiké managed to equalize, Frankfurt struggled thereafter, with Omar Marmoush squandering a clear opportunity by blazing over the crossbar when faced with Leverkusen’s goalkeeper, Lukáš Hrádecký.
Patrik Schick extended Leverkusen’s lead with a powerful header before halftime, while Exequiel Palacios converted a penalty to make it 3-1 after the break.
In the 77th minute, substitute Jeremie Frimpong concluded a superb team move by netting Leverkusen’s fourth goal, before Victor Boniface sealed the victory with another penalty in the 89th minute. This goal marked Leverkusen’s 82nd in the Bundesliga this season, establishing a new club record.
Leverkusen remains undefeated across all competitions this season, setting a record 48-game unbeaten streak across Europe’s “big five” leagues.
