Late goals from Robert Andrich and Moussa Diaby gave Bayer Leverkusen a memorable win at home to Atletico Madrid in UEFA Champions League Group B.

Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Atletico Madrid
Goals: 1-0 Andrich 84' (assist: Frimpong), 2-0 Diaby 87' (assist: Frimpong)

Leverkusen began the game with two changes to their starting line-up from Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Hertha Berlin. Jeremie Frimpong dropped to the bench, while Exequiel Palacios missed out through injury. In came Andrich and Piero Hincapie as Adam Hlozek made his Champions League debut to a lively reception at the BayArena. Die Werkself showed elements of maturity following a difficult start to the season, Patrik Schick getting the better of former Borussia Dortmund man Axel Witsel for much of the half but struggling to find the space to test Ivo Grbic in the Atleti net. Much of the half was spent in the midfield, with Leverkusen just having the edge over their visitors from the Spanish capital. Andrich placed a shot over the bar early in the half, while Kerem Demirbay sent an effort just wide of the post after some nice build-up play from Hincapie. The visitors had a VAR claim against Edmond Tapsoba for handball dismissed after 22 minutes, but did very little trouble to Lukas Hradecky throughout the half.

The second half saw Madrid make attacking changes at the break with Rodrigo De Paul offering some better opportunities in midfield for his teammates than Saul Niguez. Antonie Griezmann and Yannick Carrasco joined shortly after but couldn’t find an opening; Leverkusen’s defending was some of the best they’ve shown all season. At the other end, Diaby squeezed the ball through Schick, but the Czech international's strike smashed against the woodwork with Hlozek hitting the post on the rebound. The match was seemingly heading for a 0-0 draw, only for the introduction of Jeremie Frimpong to change the game. First, the 24-year-old broke through and cut the ball to Andrich on the edge of the box -  the former Union Berlin man curling the ball into the bottom left of Grbic’s goal. Three minutes later, Frimpong grabbed another assist, though credit goes to Schick for winning the ball back deep in his own half. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Frimpong took care of the rest, with the former Celtic man slipping the ball through to Diaby to tap home and seal victory.

Match stats

• These were Leverkusen’s first three points in the Champions League since 26 November 2019.
• All three of Leverkusen’s three Champions League victories over Atletico have been at the BayArena.
• Frimpong now has two assists to add to his two goals this season for Leverkusen.
• Summer loanee Hudson-Odoi was part of the Chelsea side that won the Champions League in 2021, knocking out Atletico in the round of 16.
• The Madrid club have managed just one clean sheet in 22 UEFA fixtures away in Germany (1-0 win vs. Carl Zeiss Jena in the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1962). This was Atleti’s eighth defeat in Germany in their last nine games.
• Axel Witsel made 145 appearances for Dortmund, while Matheus Cunha played a combined 92 times for RB Leipzig and Hertha, including three goals against Leverkusen.

Teams

Leverkusen: Hradecky (c) – Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba (Bakker 89’), Hincapie – Andrich, Demirbay – Diaby (Azmoun 89’), Hlozek (Frimpong 69’), Hudson-Odoi (Amiri 90+1) – Schick (Aránguiz 89’)
Unused subs: Lomb, Neutgens, Paulinho, Fosu-Mensah
Coach: Gerardo Seoane

Atletico: Oblak – Felipe, Witsel, Hermoso – Molina (Griezmann 62’), Niguez (De Paul 46’), Llorente, Koke (c), Reinildo (Carrasco 62’) – Felix (Correa 73’), Morata (Cunha 73’)
Unused subs: Gomis, Mestre, Kondogbia, Sergio Diez, Alberto Moreno, Marco Moreno
Coach: Diego Simeone

As it happened

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