Alejandro Grimaldo once again proved to be instrumental for Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 25, delivering a remarkable assist for Nathan Tella as Xabi Alonso’s team triumphed over a 10-man Wolfsburg with a score of 2-0, further solidifying their commanding 10-point lead at the summit of the Bundesliga.
Wolfsburg, enduring a winless streak in 2024 leading up to this encounter, evidently deviated from expectations at the onset of the match, providing Leverkusen with a few tense moments within the initial fifteen minutes. Despite promising positions, Jonas Wind failed to capitalize with a shot, while Cedric Zesiger’s attempt from distance was thwarted by a fingertip save from Lukas Hrádecký. Florian Wirtz’s striking of the post, after receiving an exquisite pass from Granit Xhaka, served as a reminder to Wolfsburg of the need for vigilance. Regrettably, Moritz Jenz disregarded this warning and was subsequently shown a red card for a second bookable offense, thereby further tilting momentum in favor of Leverkusen. Leveraging their numerical advantage, they capitalized before halftime, courtesy of a moment of brilliance from Grimaldo. The Spaniard adeptly outmaneuvered Sebastiaan Bornauw within the penalty area before delivering a cross for Nathan Tella to head home the opening goal.
Throughout the second half, Leverkusen maintained their superiority. However, aside from Piero Hincapie narrowly missing a connection with a Tella cross and Wirtz’s free-kick being deflected by the wall, Alonso’s side struggled to create meaningful opportunities. The introduction of Amine Adli aimed to rectify this situation, and while the French winger came close with a header, Leverkusen remained content to control possession and compel Wolfsburg to chase the game. Nevertheless, speculative long-range efforts from Xhaka and Grimaldo persisted as time elapsed, with Borja Iglesias’ deflected attempt narrowly missing the target following a deft turn inside the box, and a swerving Jonas Hofmann shot eliciting a fine save from Koen Casteels. Leverkusen ultimately sealed the victory in the 86th minute when Wirtz volleyed home an exquisite pass from Exequiel Palacios, thus continuing Die Werkself’s relentless pursuit of the Meisterschale.