Jamie Leweling inspires Stuttgart to stunning victory over Bayer Leverkusen
Jamie Leweling-led VfB Stuttgart thrashed Bayer Leverkusen 4-1 at the BayArena with the Swabians' No.18 scoring twice in a stunning first half performance to secure their first win against Die Werkself in 15 attempts.
Leverkusen 1-4 Stuttgart
Goals: 0-1 Leweling 7’ (assist: Undav), 0-2 Mittelstädt 29’ (pen.), 0-3 Leweling 45’ (assist: Undav), 0-4 Undav 45’+2 (assist: Führich), 1-4 Grimaldo 66’ (pen.)
It was in spectacular fashion that Stuttgart ended their 15-match winless streak against Bayer Leverkusen, storming the BayArena with an extraordinary first-half performance.
The visitors, who hadn't beaten Die Werkself since April 2018, tore through Kasper Hjulmand's side with clinical precision, punishing every defensive lapse. Sebastian Hoeneß's men arrived in Leverkusen full of belief, despite the coach never having defeated Leverkusen in his career, and they left with a statement victory that cemented their top-four credentials.
The visitors wasted no time in attacking Leverkusen, signalling their intent in just the second minute when Josha Vagnoman forced Mark Flekken into a spectacular save with his feet.
Stuttgart's breakthrough then came five minutes later as Deniz Undav threaded a perfect pass to Leweling, who finished coolly past Flekken.
Leverkusen struggled to respond, and their problems deepened when Jeanuël Belocian brought down Vagnoman in the box after 28 minutes. Maximilian Mittelstädt stepped up and sent Flekken the wrong way to double Stuttgart's advantage.
The hosts did attempt to fight back after the concession of the second, forcing Alexander Nübel to produce a superb save to deny Ezequiel Fernández what would have been a crucial goal for Leverkusen.
That intervention ultimately proved pivotal as Stuttgart went on to deliver a devastating double whammy to make it 4-0 before the break.
First, Leweling smashed home a stunning strike from outside the box, before Undav added a fourth in first-half stoppage time, converting a slick pass from Chris Führich.
At the interval, Hjulmand introduced Loïc Badé and Ernest Poku as Leverkusen sought a response.
The hosts did show more attacking intent as Alejandro Grimaldo tested Nübel with an outside-of-the-boot effort in the 63rd minute, before the Spaniard finally gave home supporters something to cheer about three minutes later.
After Malik Tillman was felled in the box by Jeff Chabot, Grimaldo stepped up to convert the resulting penalty, driving it low down the middle as Nübel dived to his right.
Despite Leverkusen's improved second-half showing, Stuttgart managed the game professionally, with Nübel largely untroubled as the match progressed.
The closing stages saw multiple substitutions and a flurry of yellow cards, with Hoeneß giving new signing Jeremy Arévalo his Bundesliga debut in place of the excellent Leweling.
There was no way back for Leverkusen, though, as Stuttgart secured a statement victory that moved them level on points with their hosts in the league standings.
Man of the Match: Jamie Leweling
Making his 100th appearance for Stuttgart, Leweling delivered a performance for the ages. The 25-year-old opened the scoring with a composed finish from Undav's precise through ball, but it was his second goal that truly showcased his quality.
With an xG of just 0.044, his thunderbolt from outside the box gave Flekken absolutely no chance. Beyond the goals, Leweling's intelligent movement and link-up play with Undav played havoc with Leverkusen's defence, particularly during Stuttgart's devastating first-half display.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Leverkusen 2.06 - Stuttgart 2.62
Fastest player: Ramon Hendriks (Stuttgart), 34.8 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 0-3 by Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart), four percent
Most pressed player: Ezequiel Fernández (Leverkusen), 24 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Mark Flekken (Leverkusen), +3.66
Fantasy Heroes: Deniz Undav (Stuttgart, 349 Points), Maximilian Mittelstädt (Stuttgart, 302 Points), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart, 292 Points)
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