Berlin (AFP)

Still undefeated in the Bundesliga after 11 days, Bayer Leverkusen took the lead alone on Sunday thanks to a 4-1 victory over Hoffenheim, taking advantage of Bayern's misstep the day before against Union Berlin (1-1).

The hero of the day was the 23-year-old Jamaican winger from Bayer Leon Bailey, who made the difference by quickly scoring a brace (4th and 27th).

Hoffenheim finished the match at 9, after the exclusions of Florian Grillisch (65th) and Stefan Posch (79th), both for two warnings.

Bayer, which includes French hopeful international Moussa Diaby and Argentina international Lucas Alario, has 25 points, a step ahead of Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, who won Bremen 2-0 on Saturday.

The Rhineland team (Leverkusen is part of the Cologne conurbation) receives Bayern Munich next Saturday in what could be a shock from the leaders, if neither team stumbles on Wednesday in Matchday 12.

The club has also qualified for the round of 16 of the Europa League, having finished first in its group.

Against Hoffenheim, Bailey first opened the scoring following a corner combination.

His very spectacular shot, coated from the left from outside the area, went into the opposite window (1-0, 4th).

He doubled down on the opportunist, intercepting a very risky pass back from Hoffenheim center-forward Kramaric to his forward goalkeeper from his own camp.

Bailey dribbled past the goalkeeper and scored in the empty goal (2-0, 27 ').

In the second period, the two teams scored in turn, Hoffenheim by Christoph Baumgartner (2-1, 50th) and Leverkusen by the 17-year-old midfielder Florian Wirtz (3-1, 55th).

In additional time, Alario converted a penalty (4-1, 90th + 2), his 8th goal in 11 Bundesliga matches.

- Concussion -

In the other game of the afternoon, Schalke continued his descent into the Underworld.

The Ruhr club, which led 2-1 at the end of regulation time against Augsburg, was joined in the third minute of added time (2-2), and thus records a 27th consecutive game without a win in the league.

The absolute record, 31 games without a win, dates from the 1965-66 season and belongs to the Berlin club Tasmania, today in the 5th division.

But those lost points are not the main concern of the Schalke players, whose teammate Mark Uth suffered a serious concussion.

After a shock to the head in a duel, Uth collapsed unconscious on the lawn.

He had to be treated on site for long minutes by the emergency services and infused, before he could be evacuated on a stretcher, wearing a neck brace and apparently inanimate.

He regained consciousness in hospital, where he was to spend the night under observation, according to the club.

© 2020 AFP