Bayer Leverkusen made it two wins from two in the Europa League league phase with a ruthless 4-0 win at Lech Poznan on Thursday night, as substitute Patrik Schick scored two first-half penalties in a game that was effectively over by half-time.
Schick was not even supposed to be on the pitch that early. The Czech striker replaced the injured Martin Terrier after just 18 minutes, yet by the interval he had converted two penalties either side of a Malik Tillman goal, and Leverkusen were cruising. Algeria international Ibrahim Maza added a late fourth to complete a statement away performance from Carles Martinez's side.
Schick Takes Over After Terrier Blow
Leverkusen started on the front foot, with Edmond Tapsoba heading close from an early corner, although Lech briefly threatened on the counter when captain Mikael Ishak went close at the other end. The game turned just before the half-hour. Maza let fly from distance, the ball struck the hand of Terry Yegbe, and after a VAR review the referee pointed to the spot. Schick, barely warmed up, sent the goalkeeper the wrong way for the opener.
Three minutes later it was two. Nathan Tella was denied in the box, but Tillman reacted quickest to bundle the loose ball over the line. And four minutes before the break, Schick was bundled over at a corner and dusted himself down to convert his second penalty of the night. As Reuters reported, the pair of spot-kicks set Leverkusen firmly on their way to a second straight European win.
There was a footnote of history, too: Schick became only the second player in UEFA's main competitions since the 1992-93 season to come on as a substitute and convert two penalties in the same match. When he was withdrawn on 76 minutes there were briefly fears of another injury, but the striker — now with eight goals in eight games this season — confirmed afterwards that he was fine and that Martinez simply refused to take any risk with him.
Maza Seals It As The Numbers Tell The Story
The second half was played at a lower tempo, the contest long since settled, but Leverkusen still finished with a flourish. Afonso Moreira was denied three times in quick succession in the closing minutes before turning provider, teeing up Maza to sweep home the fourth on the break a minute before stoppage time.
The underlying numbers were as one-sided as the scoreline: Leverkusen produced 5.34 expected goals from 22 attempts, eight of them clear big chances, while Lech were restricted to just 0.46 expected goals. The full match facts are laid out on Bundesliga, which also confirmed the one cloud on Leverkusen's night — Martinez admitted the club must wait to learn the extent of Terrier's injury, saying everyone at the club felt for the forward.
So What Does It Mean?
Leverkusen sit on six points from six, second in the league-phase standings behind only Juventus — the side whose late win at Celta is covered in the Juventus report on this site — on goals scored. They have now won their last eight Europa League league-phase matches, and 16 of their last 18, and a trip to OFI Crete next week offers the chance to make it three from three and take a firm grip on a top-eight place and the direct route to the last 16 that comes with it.
For Lech, the Polish champions were given a harsh lesson in the gap between domestic dominance and this level. They face Sunderland at home next, and after taking no points and conceding four, that game already carries real weight if they are to stay in the play-off picture. On a night when another German side's opponents were overwhelmed — Milan's teenage hat-trick hero stole the headlines in the Milan report elsewhere on this site — Leverkusen quietly produced the most complete away performance of the round.
Beyond the Final Whistle: The most frightening thing about this Leverkusen performance is that their match-winner started the night on the bench. A team that can lose its starting striker after 18 minutes and still win 4-0 away from home, with its substitute scoring twice, is not a Europa League participant — it is a Europa League favourite. If Martinez keeps Schick fit and Maza keeps growing, Leverkusen will take some stopping in this competition.
Can Bayer Leverkusen go all the way and win the Europa League this season? Have your say in the comments.
