Leverkusen on brink of title after win in Berlin
Last updated on 37 minutes ago.From the section European Football
Bayer Leverkusen moved within touching distance of a first Bundesliga title by beating 10-man Union Berlin.
Florian Wirtz's penalty gave Xabi Alonso's side a ninth successive win to stretch their lead over Bayern Munich to 16 points with six games remaining.
Bayern gave their title rivals a helping hand by letting a 2-0 lead slip to lose 3-2 at mid-table Heidenheim.
Leverkusen can end their long wait to be crowned German champions by winning at home to Werder Bremen next weekend.
Their coronation, however, is almost inevitable, with Alonso's unbeaten outfit needing just three points from the final 18 available to secure the championship.
Leverkusen will no doubt be keen to finish the job at the first time of asking in front of their own supporters.
They were frustrated in Berlin by several saves from Union keeper Frederik Ronnow, before the breakthrough came in first-half stoppage time after Robin Gosens saw a second yellow card for scything down Nathan Tella.
From the free-kick that followed, Christopher Trimmel handled Piero Hincapie's shot and, following a long video assistant referee check, Wirtz stroked home from the spot.
Leverkusen remain on course for a remarkable treble, having reached the German Cup final in midweek by thrashing Fortuna Dusseldorf 4-0 and they now prepare for the visit of West Ham in the Europa League quarter-final first leg on Thursday.
Formation 3-5-2
1Rønnow5Doekhi2Vogt4Monteiro Pinto Leite28TrimmelSubstituted forJuranovicat 63'minutes29TousartBooked at 37mins13SchäferSubstituted forKrálat 63'minutes8KhediraSubstituted forLaïdouniat 62'minutes6GosensBooked at 45mins7AaronsonSubstituted forHollerbachat 79'minutes14VertessenSubstituted forKaufmannat 45'minutesSubstitutes3Jaeckel9Kaufmann11Bedia16Hollerbach18Juranovic20Laïdouni31Knoche33Král37SchwolowFormation 3-4-2-1
1Hrádecky6Kossounou4Tah3Hincapié19TellaSubstituted forFrimpongat 79'minutes8AndrichBooked at 82mins34Xhaka20Grimaldo10Wirtz23HlozekSubstituted forAdliat 33'minutesBooked at 64mins9IglesiasSubstituted forBonifaceat 67'minutesSubstitutes2Stanisic7Hofmann12Tapsoba14Schick17Kovár21Adli22Boniface25Palacios30FrimpongReferee:Benjamin Brand
Attendance:22,012
Match ends, 1. FC Union Berlin 0, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1.
Second Half ends, 1. FC Union Berlin 0, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1.
Álex Grimaldo (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Benedict Hollerbach (1. FC Union Berlin).
Attempt missed. Frederik Rønnow (1. FC Union Berlin) header from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Josip Juranovic with a cross following a corner.
Corner, 1. FC Union Berlin. Conceded by Jonathan Tah.
Attempt blocked. Frederik Rønnow (1. FC Union Berlin) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Josip Juranovic with a cross.
Corner, 1. FC Union Berlin. Conceded by Odilon Kossounou.
Attempt saved. Amine Adli (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Robert Andrich with a through ball.
Attempt blocked. Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Victor Boniface.
Corner, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Conceded by Danilho Doekhi.
Attempt saved. Álex Grimaldo (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Odilon Kossounou.
Foul by Jonathan Tah (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Benedict Hollerbach (1. FC Union Berlin) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Granit Xhaka (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Benedict Hollerbach (1. FC Union Berlin).
Robert Andrich (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Robert Andrich (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Mikkel Kaufmann (1. FC Union Berlin) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Álex Grimaldo with a cross.
