Bayer Leverkusen wins over Borussia Dortmund with a thrilling 3-2 victory on Friday, closing the gap to Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich to just one point. The match started explosively, with Nathan Tella scoring within 25 seconds, followed by Patrik Schick's brace in the first half. 

Explosive Start for Leverkusen

Dortmund was severely impacted by illness and injuries, missing key defenders Emre Can, Nico Schlotterbeck, and Ramy Bensebaini. Despite their struggles, Jamie Gittens managed to pull one back for Dortmund shortly after Schick's first goal. However, Schick restored Leverkusen's two-goal lead just minutes later. 

Dortmund's Defensive Struggles

In the second half, Dortmund pushed for a comeback and was awarded a penalty converted by Serhou Guirassy. Nevertheless, Leverkusen held firm to secure their ninth consecutive win across all competitions. Granit Xhaka emphasized the team's focus on their own performance rather than on Bayern, while coach Xabi Alonso made the decision to bench Florian Wirtz due to an internal issue.

Dortmund's recent form has been concerning, winning only one of their last five Bundesliga matches, which could see them drop as low as 10th place by the end of the weekend.

Image Credit: AFP