Bundesliga – Kai Havertz shines as Bayer Leverkusen keep top four in sight with Werder Bremen rout

Peter Bosz’s side came into this match knowing a win would see them apply pressure on RB Leipzig after their slip-up against Freiburg at the weekend and that’s exactly what they did with an impressive performance.

Kai Havertz opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark with a powerful header only for Theodor Gebre Selessie to equalise for the home side just moments later. Havertz, however, netted a second header not long after that to put Leverkusen back in control.

The away side dominated the second half and added the gloss to the scoreline their display warranted, with Mitchell Weiser and Kerem Demirbay netting a third and a fourth to cap a very encouraging return to action for Bayer Leverkusen.

Seven wins from their last nine league games have lifted Leverkusen up into Champions League contention. Couple that run of form with the recent dip from RB Leipzig and it might appear that Bosz’s men are in fact favourites to snatch that fourth-place finish. With eight games left of the 2019/20 season to play between now and the end of June, the race for the Champions League is well and truly on.

There is a lot of excitement around Havertz at the moment and on this performance the hype is justified. The 20-year-old picked up where he left off before the coronavirus shutdown, scoring his fourth goal in his third league appearance. What was most impressive about this display was that the youngster was asked to play as a centre forward and managed to adapt without any fuss. Moussa Diaby also played exceptionally well, notching two assists.

Werder Bremen - Pavlenka 7, Veljkovic 5, Vogt 3, Moisander 5, Bargfrede 5, Selassie 7, Eggestein 5, Bittencourt 6, Freidl 5, Selke 5, Rashica 6. Subs - Osako 5, Sargent 4, Bartels 4, Eggestein 5, Woltemade 5.

Bayer Leverkusen - Hradecky 5, Weiser 7, Wirtz 7, Tapsoba 5, Sinkgraven 6, Bender 6, Aranguiz 7, Diaby 8, Demirbay 7, Amiri 6, Havertz 9. Subs - Alario 5, Baumgartlinger 6, Bellarabi 7, Bailey 7, Paulinho 5.

28’ GOAL! Werder Bremen 0-1 Bayer Leverkusen: There's the opener and it's Havertz who has picked up where he left off before the hiatus! Diaby hit the byline and sent a cross into the middle, Havertz still had a lot to do, but he directed a header back across goal and into the back of the net!

30’ GOAL! Werder Bremen 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen: An immediate reply from the home side! Werder Bremen are back on level terms! Gebre Selessie got in front of his marker and flicked a corner kick into the back of the net with the inside of his leg. Well, that was a quick reply!

34’ GOAL! Werder Bremen 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen: It's a second for Bayer Leverkusen and a second for Havertz! Where was the marking from the home side? They just allowed Havertz to ghost in to get on the end of the freekick delivery and head into the back of the net!

41’ That was a chance! Oh dear! That was a glorious opportunity for the home side to draw level again, with Bittencourt played in behind the Leverkusen defence, but he blasts his effort well over the bar!

61’ GOAL! Werder Bremen 1-3 Bayer Leverkusen: There's the third goal and that could well be the points in the bag for Bayer Leverkusen! It's another header, but this time it's Weiser who finds the back of the net from an excellent Diaby cross into the middle. A long way back for the hosts now.

78’ GOAL! Werder Bremen 1-4 Bayer Leverkusen: What. A. Goal! That might be the pick of the bunch from tonight's goals. The no-look pass was played through for Demirbay and the midfielder took his time to chip a finish over Pavlenka in the Werder Bremen goal. Wonderful.

Bayer Leverkusen scored three headed goals in the one Bundesliga match for the first time since May 2006, when Carsten Ramelow, Dimitar Berbatov and Juan all found the back of the net.

No Bundesliga player has been involved in as many goals in 2020 (in all competitions) as Kai Havertz - nine goals and seven assists.

Florian Wirtz became the youngest player to ever play for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, making his debut at 17 years and 15 days old.