Bayer Leverkusen finished their season off in winning ways with a 3-2 victory over FC Ingolstadt. The visitors failed to claim victory in Ralph Hasenhüttl’s final game before he joins RB Leipzig.
Mathew Leckie gave die Schanzer the lead in the 16th minute before Charlez Aranguiz equalised. Stefan Kießling and Moritz Hartmann also got on the scoresheet for their respective sides.
Leverkusen lead through a controversial goal
Ingolstadt got of to a great start in the first half, with constant pressure on the Werkself in the opening ten minutes. Die Schanzer took the lead in the 16th minute through Leckie. Following a lobbed ball over Leverkusen’s watching defence, Dario Lezcano squared the ball for the Australian to finish into the empty net.
There was bitter news for Leverkusen in the 23rd minute, with Roberto Hilbert limping off with an injury. Bayer managed to work themselves back into the game, and equalised in the 31st minute through, Aranguiz, making it two goals in his last two goals for die Werkself.
Just minutes later Leverkusen found themselves on the counter, Karim Bellarabi was leading the four on two break away before Marvin Matip took the German down. Bellarabi controversially took the quick free kick playing Kevin Kampl through, who finished the ball while Ingolstadt’s players seemingly stopped for Matip to be carded.
Action packed second half sees Leverkusen come away with the win
After a slow start to the second half from either side, Roger Schmidt’s side managed to double their lead in the 60th minute. Club veteran and legend, Kießling finished into Ingolstadt’s open net from Bellarabi’s squared pass.
Eight minutes after Bellarabi doubled Bayer’s lead, die Schanzer won a penalty through Lezcano. Hartmann stepped up for the spot-kick and tucked it away in the bottom left-hand corner, setting the game up for a hectic last 20 minutes.
In the 72nd minute Leczano had the ball in the net, only for the assistant to correctly rule the goal offside. Leverkusen very nearly had the ball in the net on their next attack, Bellarabi involved once again rounded Ørjan Nyland. However, he saw his shot cleared off the line by Matip.