Bayer 04 Leverkusen
| 1-0 | Wendell | (32. Min) |
| 2-0 | Drmic | (36. Min) |
| 3-0 | Bellarabi | (50. Min) |
| 4-0 | Drmic | (59. Min) |
VfB Stuttgart
Roberto Hilbert
Stats 
Alex Maxim in a duel during the game.
Defeat to efficient hosts
On match day 25, VfB gave Bayer 04 Leverkusen a run for their money for the first half-hour, but were two goals down at the break due tot he hosts efficient use of chances. At the end of the ninety minutes, the score-line stood at 0-4.
Huub Stevens made just one change to the eleven that began last Friday evening, with Gotoku Sakai coming in on the left side of the back four in place of Adam Hlousek. VfB began the tie looking well organised and solid at the back, whilst cleverly forcing their opponents into losing possession early on. As a result, it was the Cannstatt Boys who created the first opening of the match. A cross from the left by Timo Werner found Daniel Ginczek, whose low drive was well covered by Leverkusen keeper Bernd Leno (17’).
Until the half-hour mark, VfB were the more active of the two sides, but it was to be the hosts who eventually took the lead. Trainer Huub Stevens' men failed to get the ball clear of the danger-zone and Wendell drove home a shot from 14 meters out, to put Bayer in front (32‘). Just four minutes later, Leverkusen again oozed the efficiency of a top team, with Josip Drmic making it 2-0 from a Roberto Hilbert delivery (36’). The visitors from Stuttgart thus went in at the break trailing by two goals.
Huub Stevens: "We have to accept this result. Up until the half-hour mark, I saw one of my side’s best performances so far this season. Within the space of just a few minutes though, we made far too many mistakes, which just encouraged our opponents. Once we get back to Stuttgart, we will immediately begin working on the next game.
Post match comments
To begin the second period, Huub Stevens brought in Jerome Kiesewetter to replace Filip Kostic, but it was Leverkusen who got off to the better start after the break. A Kyriakos Papadopoulos header from a corner narrowly whizzed past the frame of the VfB goal (46‘). Just minutes later, the hosts had their next opportunity – which they duly made count. From the edge of the box, Karim Bellarabi fired home a powerful drive, to increase the home side’s advantage to 3-0 (50’). Within two minutes, Bayer could have increased their advantage further still, but Heung Min Son was denied by Sven Ulreich and Karim Bellarabi fired the rebound over the bar.
The VfB players looked to hold their own once again, but could do nothing to prevent Leverkusen from increasing their cushion to four goals, with Josip Drmic notching up his second of the match (59‘). Stevens’ men managed to shore up again at the back and played out the tie without conceding again, but the 0-4 defeat was a major setback, considering their more recent away form, and it will be up to the players to quickly put this defeat behind them.
