German champions start season with another late winner

The late goals just keep coming for Bayer Leverkusen.

The defending Bundesliga champions needed a goal in the 11th minute of injury time to beat Borussia Monchengladbach 3-2 yesterday after giving up a two-goal lead in the opening game of the German league season.

Xabi Alonso’s team went undefeated in both the league and the German Cup last season, in part thanks to a number of late goals and comebacks, and they continued in the same vein at the Borussia-Park. Florian Wirtz saw his last-gasp penalty saved, but converted the rebound to secure the win.

Granit Xhaka had given the visitors the lead with a thunderous 25-yard strike in the 12th minute and Wirtz made it 2-0 in the 38th after Borussia failed to clear their lines.

Leverkusen then hit the woodwork twice, while Borussia had a goal chalked off after a video review just before halftime.

But Nico Elvedi started the hosts’ comeback after 59 minutes and new signing Tim Kleindienst levelled it up in the 85th.

As so often with Leverkusen, there was still time for a final twist.

The visitors were awarded a penalty for a foul in the area deep into stoppage time, and while goalkeeper Jonas Omlin saved Wirtz’s spot kick he couldn’t prevent last season’s Bundesliga player of the year from slotting in the rebound as Leverkusen took their unbeaten run in the league to 35 games.

Play had been briefly halted at the start of the second half after fans lit multiple flares in the stands and part of the field was covered in smoke.

-AP