Leon Bailey bagged a brace with Florian Wirtz and Lucas Alario also on target as Bayer Leverkusen beat nine-man Hoffenheim to go top of the table for the first time since 2014 ahead of Bayern Munich.

Bayer Leverkusen 4-1 Hoffenheim
Goals: 1-0 Bailey (4'), 2-0 Bailey (27'), 2-1 Baumgartner 50'), 3-1 Wirtz (55'), 4-1 Alario (pen. 90'+1)
Red cards: Grillitsch (64'), Posch (79')

The meeting of the Bundesliga's two UEFA Europa League participants was always going to be a fiery affair. Hoffenheim should have been ahead inside 15 seconds but Florian Grillitsch couldn't head home from Andrej Kramaric's cross. The home side made them pay with a stunning solo effort from Leon Bailey with just four minutes played. The Jamaican smashing home after a short corner with a crisp curling strike over Oliver Baumann. Bailey almost had another just minutes later but saw his shot blocked behind by Havard Nordtveit with Leverkusen enjoying a flying start. The visitors responded well to going behind forcing Lukas Hradecky into a double save on 25 minutes but handed Bailey and Leverkusen a second soon after. Andrej Kramaric's backpass from the halfway was perfectly read by the Leverkusen winger who round Baumann before completing his brace. Hoffenheim came close to scoring again before the break when Stefan Posch failed to guide his header on goal from a set piece while Florian Wirtz forced a fantastic save from Baumann to keep the lead from extending further.

Hoffenheim made the perfect start to the second half with Christoph Baumgartner matching Bailey’s first-half strike. The Austrian curling past Hradecky with a spectacular strike. He should have brought the game level minutes later but couldn't divert Diadie Samassekou's shot on target from in front of goal. The visitors were made to pay again as Wirtz restored Leverkusen's two-goal lead dribbling into the penalty area before lobbing Baumann. Bailey had his next attempt at completing his hat-trick but Baumann saved from his long-range effort. Hoffenheim's hopes of a comeback were given a setback when Florian Grillitsch was shown a second yellow card. Just 15 minutes later and Hoffenheim were reduced to nine when Stefan Posch purposely handled the ball. Leverkusen added a fourth in added time from Lucas Alario's spot-kick to secure their place atop the Bundesliga table.

Match stats

• The win takes Leverkusen top of the table for the first time since September 2014.
• Alario is Leverkusen's eight-goal top Bundesliga scorer in 2020/21. He's already scored more this campaign than he managed in the entirety of last season.
• Florian Wirtz is one of eight players to have scored two Bundesliga goals at the age of 17: Bayern's Musiala as well as Arp, Havertz, Werner, Pulisic, Abramczik and Brandt.
• Leverkusen are one of only two unbeaten teams left in the Bundesliga alongside Wolfsburg.
• After scoring 12 times across six league games dating back to last season, Kramaric is without a goal in two, but did produce his second assist in three matches last weekend.
• Grillitsch scored his first Bundesliga brace on Matchday 10, ending a run of 74 league games without a goal. The Austrian has never scored more than two single-season goals, however.

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Line-ups

Leverkusen: Hradecky - L. Bender (c) (Weiser 75'), Tah, Tapsoba, Sinkgraven (Wendell 66') - Wirtz, Baumgartlinger (Dragovic 83'), Amiri - Bailey (Bellarabi 75'), Schick (Alario 66'), Diaby
Unused subs: Lomb, Jedvaj, Gedikli, Türkmen
Out: Aranguiz (Achilles tendon), Arias (ankle), S. Bender (knee), Demirbay (not included), Palacios (back), Paulinho (knee)
Coach: Peter Bosz

Hoffenheim: Baumann (c) - Posch, Vogt, Nordtveit, Sessegnon - Rudy (Skov 46'), Samassekou (Bogarde 89') - Bebou (Belfodil 58'), Grillitsch, Baumgartner (Gacinovic 76') - Kramaric (Akpoguma 76')
Unused subs: Pentke, Dabbur, Adams, John
Out: Adamyan (not included), Belfodil (not included), Bicakcic (knee), Bruun Larsen (not included), Geiger (suspended), Hübner (ankle), Kaderabek (muscular), Stafylidis (shoulder)
Coach: Sebastian Hoeneß

About the clubs

TSG Hoffenheim

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Bayer 04 Leverkusen

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