Havertz scores again as Leverkusen beats Freiburg in Germany

By: The Associated Press Posted: 3:39 PM CDT Friday, May. 29, 2020

FREIBURG, Germany - Kai Havertz scored his fifth goal since the Bundesliga restart to lift Bayer Leverkusen to a 1-0 win over Freiburg and back into the thick of the Champions League qualifying fight on Friday.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/05/2020 (2317 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FREIBURG, Germany – Kai Havertz scored his fifth goal since the Bundesliga restart to lift Bayer Leverkusen to a 1-0 win over Freiburg and back into the thick of the Champions League qualifying fight on Friday.

The 20-year-old Havertz stretched to prod in Leon Bailey’s pass in the 54th minute after Leverkusen spent much of the game fruitlessly passing around the Freiburg defence. That made him the first player ever to score 35 career Bundesliga goals before his 21st birthday.

Havertz’s teammates hurried over to celebrate with hugs, not the elbow bumps the league prefers for reasons of social distancing.

Leverkusen's Kai Havertz, center right, scores the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Freiburg, Germany, Friday, May 29, 2020. Because of the coronavirus outbreak all soccer matches of the German Bundesliga take place without spectators. (Ronald Wittek/Pool via AP)

Leverkusen moved up two places to third with the win, bouncing back from losing to Wolfsburg 4-1 on Tuesday. Leipzig dropped to fourth, with Borussia Mönchengladbach down to fifth.

Freiburg was eighth and hasn’t won any of its four games since the league restarted.

Freiburg could have snatched the lead in the 43rd after being on the defensive for most of the first half. Lucas Höler reacted quickly to pick up a long pass and run in behind Leverkusen’s high defensive line but dragged his shot wide of the post when one-on-one with goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.

Leverkusen’s Julian Baumgartlinger headed the ball into the net in the 63rd but it was ruled out for pushing.

Hradecky made a good save late on to deny Freiburg’s Nils Petersen.