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Leverkusen (dpa) - Group victory, a goal record and no goal for goalkeeper Niklas Lomb in the comeback after eight years: Bayer 04 Leverkusen experienced a perfect evening of football at the preliminary round of the Europa League.

With a 4-0 (2-0) win against the also qualified Czech champions Slavia Prague, Bayer secured first place in Group C and thus the option of a supposedly easier lot in the first knockout round in February.

In addition, Leverkusen was able to save energy for the strenuous last weeks of the year in the game that was decided early on.

Bayer has now earned EUR 4.35 million from the UEFA prize pool in the preliminary round.

In addition, the Leverkusen-based team scored more goals than any other Bundesliga club in the group stage of the competition, which was introduced in 2009.

With a total of 21 goals, the Werkself beat the previous record of Werder Bremen (2009/10) and Eintracht Frankfurt (2018/19) by three.

It was not quite enough for the international record of SSC Napoli with 22 goals from the 2015/16 season.

That was also due to the 0-1 in the first leg in Prague, Bayer's only defeat in 17 competitive games this season.

Leon Bailey (8th / 32nd), who has already scored five times in the current competition, ^ as well as Moussa Diaby (59th) and Karim Bellarabi (90th + 1) ensured a successful revenge.

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Niklas Lomb in particular was pleased that Leverkusen did not concede a goal.

The 27-year-old was allowed to guard the goal for the spared regular goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky and thus made his second appearance eight years and four days after his first competitive game for the Bayer professionals.

Like Hradecky, Bayer coach Peter Bosz also granted youngster Florian Wirtz (17) a break.

Even so, Leverkusen grabbed the game and were rewarded early on by Bailey.

After 26 minutes it should have been 2-0, but the Greek referee Tasos Sidiropoulos refused to recognize Daley Sinkgraven's goal.

The Dutchman, for whom it would have been the first goal in the 27th European Cup game, was clearly not offside, but the video evidence is not yet in use in the preliminary round of the Europa League.

Five minutes later, Bailey hit again - and this time the goal was scored.

The Jamaican hit the post after a Patrik Schick header.

The Czech would have loved to score against Slavia.

Born in Prague, he was educated in his youth by arch-rival Sparta Prague.

Since there are more important things, Bosz Schick changed as well as Bailey to spare at half time.

The game was now more evenly balanced, but the Bayer win was never in danger.

In the last quarter of an hour, Emrehan Gedikli (17), Samed Onur and Cem Turkmen (both 18) were three teenagers from their own offspring on the field.

UEFA press kit in German