'Laterkusen' strike again to beat Gladbach in thrilling opener

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Bayer Leverkusen wins Bundesliga opener in dramatic fashion

Bayer Leverkusen takes all three points against Borussia Monchengladbach after VAR awards a penalty in stoppage time and Florian Wirtz scores.

Updated: Aug 23, 2024, 05:16 pm

A stoppage-time goal by Florian Wirtz secured a 3-2 win for champions Bayer Leverkusen at Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga season opener on Friday.

Leverkusen were awarded a late penalty for Ko Itakura's foul on substitute Amine Adli and Wirtz scored on a rebound to earn the visitors the three points.

It was Bayer Leverkusen's 12th game-tying or go-ahead goal in second-half stoppage time in all competitions since the start of last season, four more than any other team from Europe's top five leagues in that span.

Granit Xhaka opened the scoring for Leverkusen in the 12th minute with a powerful strike from outside the box before Florian Wirtz doubled their lead in the 38th on a rebound.

But defender Nico Elvedi pulled one back for Gladbach just before the hour mark from close range and Tim Kleindienst nutmegged Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba to level for the hosts five minutes from time.

Information rom Reuters and ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report.