Ibrahim Maza and Patrick Schick keep shining for Bayer Leverkusen
Patrik Schick and Ibrahim Maza were once again instrumental in Bayer Leverkusen's Matchday 6 win over Freiburg, producing sparkling performances to maintain their impressive early-season form and keep the Werkself in the hunt for a top-four finish.
Having initially gone behind at home to the Breisgau club through Derry Scherhant’s opener, the duo then switched into gear, with Schick’s intelligent backheel from Moussa Diaby’s pass allowing Maza to stroke the ball home with ease and level the scores just five minutes after falling behind.
Schick’s quick-thinking assist means that he’s now registered a goal involvement in every single Bundesliga matchday thus far, and he would soon add another.
Watch: Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Freiburg
While Leverkusen’s second of the afternoon took longer to arrive than the first, it was certainly worth the wait.
Maza appeared trapped by the corner flag, with both Yannik Engelhardt and Niklas Beste snapping away at his heels; he managed to turn and gain a yard of space, before pushing the ball through Engelhardt's legs and then squaring for Schick to slot home, taking the Czechia striker to six goals and two assists in six league games
That made him the first Leverkusen player to score on each of the first six matchdays of a season. Only two players in Bundesliga history have managed longer scoring streaks at the start of a season – Robert Lewandowski hit 11 games in 2019/20, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang managed eight in 2015/16.
What's more, among players in Europe's top five leagues, only Raphinha (14, Barcelona), Erling Haaland (12, Manchester City) and Kylian Mbappé (11, Real Madrid) have scored more than Schick's nine competitive goals so far in 2026/27. Mainz counterpart Phillip Tietz is also on nine.
The winning goal encapsulated Leverkusen's many strengths, with Maza's tenacity and technical brilliance creating an opportunity out of nothing before Schick's movement and clinical finishing sealed victory over a direct rival in the race for the top four.
The pair have played a major role in the Werkself boasting the division’s joint-second-best attack, with 16 goals firing them to fourth place, just one point behind league leaders Bayern Munich.
Maza, in particular, has taken his game to another level in 2026/27, already registering two goals and two assists after scoring just three times across the entirety of 2025/26.
The Algerian magician also ranks among the Bundesliga’s top 10 players for both duels won (75) and crosses from open play (14), underlining his development into one of the league’s most exciting all-round midfielders.
Maza's opener was significant for another reason, extending Leverkusen's scoring streak to 18 consecutive Bundesliga matches – currently the longest active run in the division.
That run looks set to continue away to lowly Hoffenheim on Matchday 7, with Carles Martínez's men also juggling UEFA Europa League and DFB Cup commitments in the coming weeks of what could prove to be a memorable campaign.
