A great goal from the boys to breathe
Just what Bayer Leverkusen needed. A tight, hard-fought victory, but with a taste for the future. And it came from the youngest boots on the team.
Ibrahim Maza, 20, and Christian Kofane, 19, teamed up as veterans to score the only goal against Hamburg SV. It was at 73 minutes, when the game was drowning in frustration.
Maza attracted the defenders and extended a perfect ball to Kofane, who nailed it into the top left corner with impressive coolness.
That moment of youthful lucidity changed everything. The match had been a roller coaster of negative emotions for the locals: a goal disallowed for handball and a possible penalty overturned after the VAR review.
The other side: the rival’s frustration
On the visiting bench, the anger was palpable. The young promise Luka Vuškovic (on loan from Tottenham) threw his boots against the bench at the end. He had everything to tie in the last seconds.
First, Janis Blaswich blocked a powerful shot. Then, on the next play, Vuškovic hit a header off the crossbar. Football is sometimes that cruel.
This victory is pure oxygen for Leverkusen’s aspirations. The team remains sixth in the Bundesliga, but is now just three points behind Stuttgart… which occupies the fourth place that gives access to the Champions League.
Coach Kasper Hjulmand trusted the youth team. He made five changes and gave his first senior start to German-American winger Montrell Culbreath (18 years old), who responded with 80 solid minutes.
Now comes the big thing: Arsenal in the Champions League round of 16. This victory just before the European duel is more than three points. It is a boost of confidence for a team that had only won one of its four previous league games.
The season is at a critical point. The fight to qualify for the next Champions League and the current European dream depend on maintaining this attitude. Young people have taught a lesson: sometimes, freshness and raw talent are the best answer.
