Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 RB Leipzig

Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 RB Leipzig

Bayer Leverkusen maintained their impressive start to the Bundesliga season with a comfortable 2-0 victory over RB Leipzig at the BayArena. Goals from Granit Xhaka and Patrik Schick secured the three points for Xabi Alonso's side, who remain one of only two teams with a 100% record in the German top flight.

The result sees Leverkusen keep pace with early pacesetters Bayern Munich, with both sides having won all five of their opening matches. For Leipzig, the defeat will be a disappointment, particularly given their strong start to the campaign under new manager Marco Rose.

Leverkusen took the lead in the 23rd minute through Xhaka. The Swiss midfielder was left unmarked from a corner delivery, and he made no mistake with a powerful header that gave Janis Blaswich no chance in the Leipzig goal.

The visitors almost equalized immediately, with Lois Openda going close with a curling effort from the edge of the area. However, Leverkusen doubled their advantage in the 41st minute through Schick. The Czech striker showed great composure to control a through ball from Florian Wirtz before firing past Blaswich.

Leipzig started the second half brightly and created several good chances to get back into the game. In the 52nd minute, Xavi Simons saw his long-range effort come back off the crossbar, while Openda went close again moments later with a header that Lukas Hradecky did well to tip over.

However, Leverkusen's defence stood firm, with Edmond Tapsoba and Jonathan Tah particularly impressive at the heart of the backline. The duo dealt with Leipzig's physical threat well and limited the visitors to few clear-cut chances.

The victory extends Leverkusen's unbeaten home record to 12 matches in all competitions, a run that stretches back to last season. For Alonso, the result will be particularly pleasing given his side's ability to grind out results even when not at their fluent best.

Report by Lukas Brandt. Source: OneLightScore match data, Opta statistics. Licence: Platform library.