Bayer Leverkusen triumph with 10-men as Xabi Alonso's tactics shine

The win keeps Leverkusen in hot pursuit of league leaders Bayern Munich, maintaining a six-point gap.

The match kicked off with Leverkusen dominating possession, but it was not until the 15th minute that they broke the deadlock.

Victor Boniface, who recently had his transfer to Al-Nassr fall through, scored with a precise left-footed shot following a pass from Alejandro Grimaldo.

Just four minutes later, Jeremie Frimpong doubled the lead by capitalizing on a long ball from Aleix Garcia, darting into the box and finding the far corner.

The game saw a bit of Bundesliga history when referee Robin Braun announced the reversal of a penalty decision over the stadium loudspeaker, a first for the league.

Despite this, Hoffenheim started to find their rhythm, with Erencan Yardımcı and Marius Bulter coming close but failing to convert their chances.

In the second half, Emiliano Buendía, on his debut after a loan move from Aston Villa, set up Patrik Schick for the third goal from a rebound.

However, the plot thickened when Grimaldo received his second yellow card, reducing Leverkusen to ten men. This allowed Hoffenheim's Gift Orban to pull one back almost immediately from the resulting free-kick.

Xabi Alonso, reflecting on the match, said, "There were two games today: 60 minutes with 11 players and 30 minutes with 10. We played well in both. Even when we were down to ten men, we controlled the game."

He also justified his decision to substitute Buendía, stating, "Unfortunately, I had to take Buendía off. But it was the right decision."

Alonso further critiqued his team's discipline, noting, "What we can do better is avoid these yellow cards for minor fouls."

Leverkusen's victory extends their unbeaten home run to nine matches, conceding only six goals in that span. With this result, they are poised for a crucial showdown with Bayern Munich in two weeks, a match that could define their season.

Meanwhile, Hoffenheim, plagued by injuries, will need to regroup for their next fixture against Union Berlin to avoid further slipping into the relegation battle. 

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