Title-chasing Bayer Leverksusen had a helping hand from Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner as they stretched their Bundesliga lead to 11 points with a 2-1 win at the BayArena.
Granit Xhaka’s brilliant 20-yard strike gave Leverkusen the lead after just three minutes, but a well-worked headed equaliser from Dominik Kohr followed close behind to give the relegation strugglers hope.
Xabi Alonso’s side were spared any further anxiety when Robert Andrich tried his luck from range in the 68th minute and Zentner allowed a gentle effort to squirm through his gloves and over the line.
The relief around the ground was as tangible as the keeper’s despair and, when Jessic Ngankam was sent off late on, the points were secured.
In doing so, Leverkusen stretched their unbeaten run to 33 games in all competitions, a new German record at the expense of rivals Bayern Munich.
The hosts wasted no time stamping their authority on proceedings, Jonas Hofmann winning a free-kick in opposition territory.
Xhaka acted as first receiver before sliding in Alex Grimaldo down the left flank. His cross was deflected back to the Swiss midfielder, who proceeded to swing his weaker left foot and send a curling, dipping first-time effort sailing over a wrong-footed Zentner.
Xhaka marked his first goal since joining the club from Arsenal last summer by feeling for his hamstring.
Alonso briefly looked concerned on the touchline, but as his team-mates joined in it quickly became clear it was an in-joke rather than a genuine fitness setback.
But Mainz were the ones celebrating five minutes later, Nadiem Amiri’s deft chip over the top creating the opening against his parent club.
Silvan Widmar was onside by a whisker as he met the ball with his head and squared it back across the penalty box and, although the ball did not land perfectly for Kohr, he timed his diving header wonderfully well to power the ball home from 10 yards.
Xhaka, Hofman and Grimaldo all had sights of goal as the home side pushed to reclaim the advantage, but Mainz stood their ground.
Mainz came desperately close to going ahead after 50 minutes, Leandro Barreiro stretching to meet Amiri’s free-kick at the far post, only for Jonathan Tah to mop up calmly when he could easily have scored an own goal.
There was another warning when Edmond Tapsoba’s poor pass offered Lee Jae-sung a free strike, only for the South Korean to miss the target completely.
Things were beginning to get scrappy amid a flurry of bookings, when Andrich’s pot shot changed the game. The ball swirled slightly on its way to Zentner, but there was no hiding his culpability as he waved it tamely into the side of his net.
Ngankam saw red with 10 minutes left on the clock, a dangerous slide on Xhaka upgraded from a caution after a review, allowing the league leaders to see out their evening safely.
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-5 Bayer Leverkusen: Alonso's champions roll on
Bayer Leverkusen extended their unbeaten streak as they secured a 5-1 away victory at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
The result leaves champions Leverkusen at the summit with 84 points, while Frankfurt sit sixth with 45.
Leverkusen's record unbeaten run, meanwhile, has now extended to 48 matches across all competitions.
Xabi Alonso's team opened the scoring through Granit Xhaka's bending strike from outside the box after 12 minutes.
Hugo Ekitike's perfectly timed header restored parity just after the half-hour mark, however.
Leverkusen retook the lead just before half-time through Patrik Schick's towering header.
It was 3-1 in the 58th minute, Exequiel Palacios converting a penalty after Niels Nkounkou pulled Nathan Tella by the shirt.
Jeremie Frimpong added a fourth for the visitors with 13 minutes remaining, tapping in from short distance, before the wing-back played a key role in Leverkusen's fifth, winning a penalty which was put away by Victor Boniface.
Data Debrief: Club history for free-scoring Leverkusen
Leverkusen have now scored 82 goals in this Bundesliga season, a new season record for the Werkself in the top flight.
They also lead the Bundesliga for the most goals from long-distance (11), most goals from set-pieces (23) and most goals in the final 15 minutes of matches (19).
Ronaldo delivers another hat-trick as Al Nassr ease past Al Wedha
Cristiano Ronaldo crafted a decisive hat-trick as Al Nassr hammered Al Wedha 6-0 in Saturday's Saudi Pro League meeting.
Portugal veteran Ronaldo found the net twice in the first 12 minutes at Al Awal Park before completing his treble after the interval.
Sadio Mane teed up Ronaldo's third finish, as well as an 18th-minute strike from Otavio, who returned the favour for the Senegal international to score on the stroke of half-time.
Mohammed Al Fatil added a late sixth as Al Nassr recorded their seventh straight league win since their March 7 loss against Al Raed, moving them back within nine points of leaders Al Hilal.
Jorge Jesus's Al Hilal swept Al Tauwoon aside in a 3-0 away triumph on Friday for their fourth straight victory across all competitions.
Talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic opened the scoring at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium before Saud Abdulhamid and Saleh Alsherhi wrapped up a win that kept Al Hilal in charge of the title race.
There was no such fortune for fifth-placed Al Ittihad as they fell to a third straight defeat in all competitions after a 3-1 loss away against Abha.
Jota levelled after Grzegorz Krychowiak's 57th-minute penalty, only for Hassan Al-Ali and Fabian Noguera to power hosts Abha to a comfortable win.
Terzic hopeful of Wembley send-off for Dortmund hero Reus
Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus will leave the club after 12 years at the end of the season but a Champions League final at Wembley would see his career at the Ruhr valley club come full circle, said coach Edin Terzic said on Saturday.
Reus scored once and set up two more goals in their 5-1 win over Augsburg on Saturday as Dortmund prepare to face Paris Saint-Germain in their return leg in France on Tuesday after their 1-0 first leg win in Germany earlier this week.
The Germans, Champions League winners in 1997, are hoping to make their first final in the competition since 2013 when they lost to Bayern Munich at Wembley.
A return to that stadium for this year's final would be a fitting finale for Reus' Dortmund career, Terzic said.
"Yes, a cycle would close," Terzic said. "It was in his first season at Dortmund that he played at Wembley and it would be perfect to return there," Terzic told a press conference.
"He is a living legend. He has put all other stories in the shadow today.
"What I wish is that the Marco Reus festival lasts for another month and we experience a few more games together," Terzic said.
The 34-year-old, who joined in 2012 and also spent a decade at the Ruhr Valley club as a youth player, has scored 169 goals in 425 matches for Dortmund while setting up another 130.
Reus won two German Cups but did not collect any other major titles, agonisingly missing out on his first ever Bundesliga trophy last season on the final matchday.
Dortmund are in fifth place in the Bundesliga with two games remaining. They were at risk of missing out on Champions League football next season before their win over PSG sealed a fifth spot for Germany in next season's competition.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
