Jena 0-1 Bayer Leverkusen: Hofmann header sends holders through

By Sports Desk August 28, 2024

Jonas Hofmann's header sent holders Bayer Leverkusen through in the DFB-Pokal.

Leverkusen kick-started their Bundesliga campaign with a last-gasp win over Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday, and though matters were more comfortable against lower-league Jena on Wednesday, Xabi Alonso's team had to settle for a 1-0 win.

Hofmann got the decisive goal in the 52nd minute, heading home from Alex Grimaldo's delivery.

Leverkusen finished with 16 shots and an expected goals (xG) of 1.31, though Jena did muster 1.04 xG from just six attempts, with Hamza Muqaj squandering their best chance of the game.

Data Debrief: Heads up

Hofmann has had a fantastic career, plying his trade for Leverkusen, Gladbach and Borussia Dortmund.

Yet incredibly, his goal on Wednesday was the first ever to come from his head. It was his only attempt of the night, with the attacking midfielder managing just three touches in Jena's area.

Related items

  • West Ham 1-0 Bournemouth: Bowen bursts Cherries' bubble in EFL Cup West Ham 1-0 Bournemouth: Bowen bursts Cherries' bubble in EFL Cup

    West Ham progressed to the third round of the EFL Cup after a contentious late goal from Jarrod Bowen helped them edge fellow Premier League side Bournemouth 1-0 at London Stadium.

    As the game looked to be heading for a penalty shootout, Bowen emerged as West Ham's hero, deflecting in the winner with just two minutes left on the clock, though the ball appeared to strike his arm.

    Julen Lopetegui's Hammers were on the backfoot for most of the first half, which ended with Bournemouth winger Dango Ouattara testing goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski with an acrobatic effort.

    The visitors went close again as Marcus Tavernier brushed the woodwork with his free-kick eight minutes after the restart, but Bournemouth failed to find the back of the net despite creating plenty of chances and mustering an expected goals (xG) of 1.01 to West Ham's 0.8.

    And ultimately, their profligacy was punished when Bowen turned in Mohamed Kudus' 88th-minute strike, and with no VAR, there was no reprieve for the Cherries.

    West Ham will return to action when they host reigning champions Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday while the Cherries will be at Goodison Park on the same day to face Everton.

    Data Debrief: Bowen blowing bubbles

    Bowen has now scored in each of his last three games in the EFL Cup, and even though he did not know much about this goal, he was West Ham's greatest attacking threat, having five attempts in total, and getting three of them on target.

    The Hammers have now found the net in each of their last six EFL Cup matches, which is the club's longest such run in the competition.

  • Alonso seeking improvements as Leverkusen complete Mukiele signing Alonso seeking improvements as Leverkusen complete Mukiele signing

    Xabi Alonso wants Bayer Leverkusen to click through the gears after they edged out Jena in the DFB-Pokal.

    Jonas Hofmann's header was enough to send holders Leverkusen into the next round with a 1-0 win on Wednesday.

    Alonso's side only allowed their lower-league opponents to have six shots, but worryingly for the Bundesliga champions, those did accumulate to 1.04 expected goals (xG).

    Indeed, Hamza Muqaj missed a golden opportunity for the hosts worth 0.75 xG in second-half stoppage time.

    With RB Leipzig next up in the league, Alonso knows his team have to sharpen up.

    "[We faced] a good opponent and it wasn't easy," said Alonso.

    "We have to work on a few things, but we are in the next round and that's what counts. Now we go straight into preparing for the next league game."

    Leverkusen did bolster their defensive options, though with the signing of Nordi Mukiele.

    The versatile defender has joined on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, and could be in line to make his debut against his former club Leipzig on Saturday.

    Odilon Kossounou, meanwhile, has left Leverkusen to sign for Atalanta, who beat Alonso's team in last season's Europa League final, on loan. 

  • Former Man City and Barca goalkeeper Bravo retires Former Man City and Barca goalkeeper Bravo retires

    Claudio Bravo has announced his retirement from professional football.

    The 41-year-old goalkeeper began his career at Colo-Colo, before going on to feature for Real Sociedad, Barcelona, Manchester City and Real Betis.

    The Chilean represented his national side 150 times after making his debut in 2004, winning two Copa America crowns, in 2015 and 2016.

    “It is the moment to close a very important cycle in my life,” Bravo said on his social media accounts.

    “I think I have made the right decision, a decision I thought long about.”

    After beginning his career in Chile, Bravo moved to La Real in 2006, where he spent eight seasons, helping the club get promoted back to LaLiga in 2010.

    He moved to Barcelona in the summer of 2014, and was their number one during successive victorious La Liga campaigns in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

    Bravo moved to Manchester City in 2016, but a poor start led to him being dropped by manager Pep Guardiola for Willy Caballero later that season, though he still picked up a Premier League medal and two EFL Cup wins before leaving after his contract expired in 2020.

    He returned to Spain with Betis for the latter part of his career, winning the Copa del Rey in 2022, and represented Chile at this year's Copa America.

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.