Leverkusen, Germany, GER — Loïc Badé's early header secured three points for Bayer Leverkusen in a narrow Bundesliga victory over Werder Bremen at BayArena. The match saw four goals scored between the sides, with Badé's eighth-minute strike ultimately proving decisive.
Jens Stage opened the scoring for Bremen in the third minute before Badé responded five minutes later to level the contest. Lucas Vázquez put Leverkusen ahead in the 37th minute, and Marco Friedl added another for Bremen in the 42nd minute in a back-and-forth first half that set the tone for an evenly matched encounter.
The statistics reflected the tight nature of the contest. Bremen edged possession with 50.5% compared to Leverkusen's 49.5% and registered more total shots, 17 to 13. However, Leverkusen proved more clinical when it mattered, putting four shots on target compared to Bremen's three.
Both sides pushed for additional goals throughout the match, but neither could break through again after the flurry of first-half scoring. The result keeps Leverkusen's campaign on track as they prepare for European competition.
GOALS:- 3' Jens Stage - SV Werder Bremen- 8' Loïc Badé - Bayer 04 Leverkusen- 37' Lucas Vázquez - Bayer 04 Leverkusen- 42' Marco Friedl - SV Werder Bremen
STANDOUT PLAYERS:- Bayer Leverkusen: Loïc Badé - Crucial early goal, solid defensive presence- Werder Bremen: Jens Stage - Opened scoring, energetic midfield performance
KEY STAT: Werder Bremen outshot Bayer Leverkusen 17-13 but managed only three shots on target compared to Leverkusen's four.