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Leverkusen (AP) - The crisis at Bayer Leverkusen is worsening, the air for coach Peter Bosz could soon be thin despite numerous commitments of loyalty.
Three days after the sobering Europa League break against Young Boys Bern, the Werkself also suffered a bitter 1: 2 (0: 0) home defeat against SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga.
The Leverkusen-based company thus missed the great opportunity to reduce the gap to the Champions League places after the Frankfurt defeat in Bremen to two points.
In addition, they slipped to sixth place behind Borussia Dortmund.
The Bayer bosses had recently expressed their confidence in Bosz several times, but they are already expecting the Champions League qualification from the Dutch after the bankruptcies in the two cup competitions.
Three defeats from the last 14 competitive games are also a thin result.
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Bosz had made a goalkeeper swap.
Under-21 national goalkeeper Lennart Grill, who replaced Niklas Lomb, who recently failed twice on his Bundesliga debut, was not to blame.
For this, Bayer must fear a long loss of winter access Timothy Fosu-Mensah.
The right-back was eliminated with a knee injury, as was the later substitute newcomer Jeremie Frimpong.
The Freiburg team improved to eighth with goals from Ermedin Demirovic (50th) and Lucas Höler (61st) and are now a Europa League contender with just three points behind Bayer.
Leon Bailey only managed the connection goal (70th).
Bosz had made five changes compared to the Berne bankruptcy, the youngest starting eleven of his more than two-year term at 24.6 years and made the expected goalkeeper change.
The grill, which came from third division Kaiserslautern for two million euros in the summer, had major teething problems in Leverkusen and was actually only number three.
His commitment made Bayer only the second team next to the bottom side FC Schalke 04, which has already used three goalkeepers this season.
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Grill was clearly directing the people in front of him, played along well, but got little hold on it.
His counterpart Florian Müller, one of the predecessors as a U21 national goalkeeper, was challenged more.
In the tenth minute, he prevented the early deficit twice within a few seconds.
First he steered a twisting shot from Bailey over the bar, after the following corner then a header from Lucas Alario.
Also in the 22nd minute he parried well with a shot by Demarai Gray.
The Breisgauer did not get going forward at first.
Leverkusen, on the other hand, played courageously and creatively forward, especially through the outside Bailey and Gray.
But the effectiveness again left something to be desired.
After the move, Freiburg played better and Bayer immediately showed their vulnerability again.
After a long injury break, captain Charles Aranguiz, in shape, let Höler go, whose cross was used by Demirovic unmarked from the penalty spot.
Bayer ran up and promptly ran openly into a counterattack.
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