LEVERKUSEN (Germany) • Much has been made of how home-ground advantage in the German Bundesliga has been eroded, with fans banned from attending games because of the coronavirus pandemic.
That pattern was evident again on Tuesday night as Bayer Leverkusen were hammered 4-1 by Wolfsburg in their first match at the BayArena since the league's restart on May 16, missing out on a chance to move into the top four.
Their loss means only three of the 22 games played since the German top flight restarted behind closed doors have been won by the hosts.
Max Arnold played a part in three of his side's goals the day before he turned 26. The Germany midfielder set up Croatian defender Marin Pongracic, who scored his first for the club just before half-time.
Arnold got on the scoresheet himself in the second half with a deflected free kick before putting in an assist for Pongracic once again 15 minutes from the end.
Renato Steffen scored the visitors' third goal, while substitute Julian Baumgartlinger pulled one back five minutes from time.
With two successive wins, fired by successive braces from star man Kai Havertz, Peter Bosz's men had entered the game in form. But they were dismantled by a Wolfsburg side pushing for a Europa League spot next season.
Coach Oliver Glasner, whose team are sixth on 42 points, was delighted with the upset, saying: "I'm very satisfied and proud of the team for playing like that just three days after a very tough game (losing 2-0) against (Borussia) Dortmund."
Bosz was crestfallen after seeing their slim title hopes all but extinguished - they are 11 points behind leaders Bayern Munich (64) with six games left. He said: "We were awful today - really in all areas... Our aggressiveness was missing, with and (without) the ball."
Goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky was equally worried, with the top-four race heating up, adding: "We have to make sure this remains a one-off."
Borussia Monchengladbach are fourth and above Leverkusen on goal difference, occupying the final Champions League berth, after a goal-less draw at Werder Bremen.
REUTERS
