Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick bagged a hat-trick on Saturday to help the German champion battle back from a two-goal deficit and crush Heidenheim 5-2 in the Bundesliga.
The Czech forward got the nod after Victor Boniface was ruled out with a muscle injury and he made the most of his chance as Leverkusen won its first match after three consecutive league draws.
It was only the second league win in its last seven games for Xabi Alonso’s team, who won the domestic double last season undefeated. With the champion contesting eight matches in four weeks, including its German Cup clash against Bayern Munich on December 3, it has to contend with a crammed schedule.
Leverkusen, who first take on RB Salzburg in the Champions League on Tuesday, is on 20 points in fourth place, nine off leader Bayern Munich, 3-0 winners over Augsburg on Friday, and one behind RB Leipzig, who lost 4-3 against Hoffenheim to drop to third place.
Eintracht Frankfurt moved into second on 23 after its 1-0 win over Werder Bremen courtesy of a Mario Goetze goal.
Leverkusen got off to a nightmare start, however, looking far from fresh following the international break, and quickly found itself two goals down.
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It was ompletely taken by surprise when Niklas Dorsch’s powerful shot put the visitor in front after 10 minutes.
Mathias Honsak made it look easy when he powered into the box, dribbled past three Leverkusen players and drilled in to double the lead in the 21st.
Leverkusen, however, quick bounced back with two goals of its own to level before going into the break.
Exequiel Palacios turned well in the box, firing in from a tight angle on the half-hour mark before Schick chipped over the Freiburg keeper in the 32nd to get on to the scoresheet and level.
Leverkusen completed its comeback seven minutes after the restart with Florian Wirtz cutting back and Schick beating his marker to flick in the host’s third goal of the afternoon.
Nathan Tell then hit the woodwork a minute later as the host ramped up the pressure against deflated Heidenheim.
Schick completed his hat-trick, heading in a cross from Arthur in the 71st, and Granit Xhaka curled in its fifth goal from the edge of the box in the 82nd.
