Florian Wirtz was the hero of the night, clinching a sensational late winner for Bayer Leverkusen with a penalty rebound deep into stoppage time. The decisive moment came in the 101st minute after a nerve-wracking sequence of events in Leverkusen’s Bundesliga opener against Borussia Monchengladbach.
The penalty, awarded for a foul on Amine Adli inside the box, initially saw Wirtz’s effort saved by goalkeeper Jonas Omlin. However, the quick-thinking midfielder was first to react and calmly slotted home the rebound, sealing an important victory for the defending champions.
Leverkusen’s Strong Start and Monchengladbach’s Resilience
Xabi Alonso’s side started the season in impressive fashion. Just 12 minutes in, former Arsenal player Granit Xhaka powered in a superb strike from outside the box, giving Leverkusen an early lead. Despite Monchengladbach’s attempts to regroup, the visitors continued to press, with both Victor Boniface and Edmond Tapsoba being denied by the frame of the goal.
The pressure paid off when Wirtz doubled Leverkusen’s advantage after Alejandro Grimaldo’s initial attempt was blocked. Wirtz capitalized on the loose ball, driving it past the Monchengladbach defense to give his side a 2-0 cushion. The hosts appeared to pull one back just before halftime through Tim Kleindienst, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review for offside.
Monchengladbach’s Fightback and Late Drama
The home side mounted a determined comeback in the second half. Nico Elvedi scored in the 59th minute, heading in from close range after Lukas Hradecky had saved his first effort. The momentum shifted as Monchengladbach pressed for an equalizer and finally broke through in the 85th minute. Kleindienst connected with a Kevin Stoger pass to slot home and bring the score level.
With time running out, it seemed the match would end in a draw until Leverkusen was awarded the last-gasp penalty. Wirtz’s follow-up finish after the initial miss secured all three points for Leverkusen, continuing their unbeaten run from last season and following up their recent German Super Cup triumph over Stuttgart.
