Thanks to three-time goalscorer Moussa Diaby, Bayer Leverkusen extended their impressive winning streak against FC Augsburg and successfully defended third place in the table. Leverkusen won 5-1 (2-0) on Saturday and remain undefeated in their 24th competitive game against Augsburg. After five consecutive games without a win, the guests are slipping deeper and deeper into the relegation battle and have fallen back to 16th place in the table. In front of 750 spectators in the Leverkusen Arena, Karim Bellarabi (4th minute) scored three times, Diaby (24th/65th/69th) and Lucas Alario (81st) for the hosts, who have three points in a Bundesliga game for the second time in a row brought. Arne Maier (62nd) scored for the guests.
After the important win in Mönchengladbach last weekend, Bayer coach Gerardo Seoane had to improvise because of a total of eight absentees and changed his team's tactics. So Robert Andrich was the only defensive midfielder. In addition, Amine Adli moved into the starting line-up. With the offensive orientation, the hosts scored the opening goal with the first offensive action worth seeing. After some fine work from Mitchel Bakker, who had previously played a one-two with Diaby, Bellarabi made it 1-0 with a right-footed shot from a tight angle.
With the early opening goal in the back, the Bayer team started their attacking and combination game and scored a well-deserved second goal through Diaby's left-footed shot after Adli's preparatory work.
The guests, who started with Rekord-Einkauf Ricardo Pepi, had a good chance of scoring through Maier (14'), but the 23-year-old was denied by Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.
Augsburg found it difficult against the well-adjusted Leverkusen team, who failed to win twice in the last two home games and were superior to the guests, especially in terms of pace and speed.
Michael Gregoritsch, who was dangerous in the last goal, could hardly put himself in the limelight, just like the young Pepi.
The new signing of the winter break was also substituted after an hour.
With three fresh players, the Augsburg team acted a bit more aggressively and scored the goal through a Maier sweep after a Gregoritsch free-kick.
But Bayer kept the pressure and the team that decided the game created a few good chances through Adli and Bellarabi and came relatively quickly with two more goals from Diaby to make it 4-1.
Alario then put the finishing touch in a fast-paced game.