Serhou Guirassy, Jeremie Frimpong and Karim Adeyemi (l-r.) were among the goals on Matchday 24. - © IMAGO / Eibner / RHR-Foto

bundesliga

Bayer Leverkusen close in on title on a weekend of great goals

04.03.2024

Bayer Leverkusen extended their advantage at the top of the table over Bayern Munich, who are now also looking over their shoulders at VfB Stuttgart, while Bundesliga supporters were treated to brilliant goals throughout the weekend. bundesliga.com takes a look at the biggest talking points from Matchday 24...

1) Leverkusen go 10 points clear

Bayern’s 2-2 draw with Freiburg presented Leverkusen with the perfect opportunity to extend their advantage further at the top. A visit to Rhine rivals Cologne had the potential to be a banana skin, especially with Effzeh battling for survival at the other end of the table.

Die Werkself were not at their best, and there were a couple of hairy moments at the RheinEnergieSTADION – not least when Sargis Adamyan hit the post at the start of the second half – but Jan Thielmann’s early red card made their task easier. Ultimately, wing-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo fired home to secure a 2-0 victory and all three points.

The result sees Xabi Alonso’s men move 10 points clear at the summit – the first time they have held a double-digit advantage over Bayern this campaign. With just 30 more points on offer, Leverkusen need seven more victories to clinch a maiden Meisterschale. While it isn’t over until the fat lady sings, she is on her way to the venue at the very least.

2) Are Stuttgart reining in Bayern Munich?

A spectacular season shows no signs of slowing for Stuttgart and their super striker Serhou Guirassy. A seventh away win of the campaign ensured Sebastian Hoeneß's high-flyers kept themselves locked into third spot and now within sight of defending Bundesliga champions Bayern, just four points ahead in second place.

Guirassy was front and centre in VfB's latest win in Wolfsburg, the 27 year-old making it 20 Bundesliga goals for the campaign with a double in his side's 3-2 triumph at the Volkswagen Arena. The striker put his side 1-0 in front for a sixth time, equalling Bayern star Harry Kane in that particular stat while the Guinea international also brought his goals tally in away games up to eight, two behind Kane, who has 10 goals on the road.

Serhou Guirassy is averaging a goal every 67 minutes in this season's Bundesliga. - IMAGO/Cathrin Mller

Boasting a new club record of 50 points and 16 victories after 24 Bundesliga games and taking in a total of 16 points from the last 18 available while making it an unprecedented six unbeaten games under coach Hoeneß, the Swabian machine is currently in full flow. With games against division leaders Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern a little further down the road, Stuttgart currently have their sights set on those ahead of them, as opposed to those behind. And as far as fans of Die Schwaben are now concerned, it's a case of roll on next Friday and the Matchday 25 opener against Union Berlin.

3) Deadly Demirović firing Augsburg

An incredible turn of events at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor ended with Augsburg equalling their biggest-ever Bundesliga win, with Jess Thorup's side eventually running out 6-0 winners at Darmstadt. The visitors thumped five unanswered goals past their beleaguered opponents in just 29 first-half minutes, a feat only ever achieved on two previous occasions in the German top flight (Freiburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach having also managed it).

Leading the Bavarians' bamboozling drive was their incredible captain Ermedin Demirović, who netted a double and provided one more assist in the opening 45 minutes. For keen Demirović watchers this term, this was just one more weekend when the Bosnia and Herzegovina forward conducted a footballing orchestra at Augsburg, who made it two wins in a row for the first time since October. The 25-year-old brought up his third brace of the 2023/24 campaign and can now boast an outstanding 22 goal involvements (14 goals, eight assists), meaning he now only trails Bayern's Kane on 32 goal involvements.

Ermedin Demirović continues to set a captain's example in front of goal for Augsburg. - IMAGO/Harald Bremes

Throw in a very-first clean sheet of the campaign for FCA and a first Bundesliga career brace for Phillip Tietz in his team's latest game, and the Fuggerstädter had so much to celebrate to go with their climb up to mid-table this weekend.

4) Leipzig's super-sub blitz

Keen to keep in touch with the Bundesliga's top-four spots and hopeful of a morale boost ahead of a midweek match-up with Real Madrid in the Champions League, things could have been going better for Leipzig during the second half of their game in Bochum. Sure, Dani Olmo's glorious goal had the visitors on terms at the Ruhrstadion after the home side had taken an early lead, but Marco Rose knew this game demanded more of his side. The tactician opted for a triple change on 65 minutes and the manoeuvre paid almost immediate dividends.

In the space of four minutes, Leipzig scored three times. Substitute Loïs Openda began the mini-blitz when he bagged his 17th goal of the campaign and after fellow sub Yussuf Poulsen was heavily involved in Ivan Ordets putting through his own net, the Dane was there again to make it 4-1.

Watch: Bochum 1-4 RB Leipzig - highlights

Previously bouncing inside the stadium, the home fans were stunned into silence as Leipzig left their mark with a bruising flurry of blows. The win ensured the Saxony-based side kept on the coat-tails of Borussia Dortmund, a point ahead in fourth while the injection of morale gained ahead of a tricky trip to the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday could prove crucial as Leipzig seek to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the teams' last-16 tie.

5) Weekend of great goals

There were 32 goals across the Bundesliga on Matchday 24, which works out an average of over three per game. While that isn’t news in itself – the German top flight has consistently led the way amongst Europe’s top-five leagues in that regard – the number of stunning strikes made it a weekend to remember.

The matchday started off in style, with all four goals between Freiburg and Bayern worthy of a re-watch. Christian Günter’s volley would have beaten any keeper in the league, never mind Manuel Neuer, as would Lucas Höler’s fantastic late effort. Meanwhile, there was nothing Noah Atubolu could do to keep out Mathys Tel’s thunderbolt, while Jamal Musiala showed of his silky skills in the penalty area before caressing a ball into the corner.

Watch: The top 5 goals on Matchday 24

From that point onwards, the wonder goals kept coming – Olmo curled a beauty into the corner from outside the area, and Karim Adeyemi did the same for Borussia Dortmund at the Stadion an der Alten Försterei as Die Schwarzgelben defeated Union Berlin.

Maximilian Wittek, Jonathan Burkardt, Rubén Vargas, Joakim Mæhle and Maximilian Beier also netted strikes to be proud of. No matter what match(es) you watched across the weekend, you were likely treated to some memorable finishes – long may it continue!