January 13, (THEWILL) – In the absence of Victor Boniface, Bayer Leverkusen kept their Bundesliga title hopes alive with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Augsburg, thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Exequiel Palacios. The Argentine struck in the 94th minute to secure a vital three points for Die Werkself, restoring their four-point lead over rivals Bayern Munich.
Leverkusen had dominated possession and carved out several openings but looked set to drop points before Palacios’ late intervention. The midfielder volleyed home at the back post from an Alex Grimaldo cross to spark jubilant celebrations.
The win comes after Bayern had ramped up pressure on Leverkusen by dispatching Hoffenheim 3-0 on Friday night. With the champions having a game in hand, this was a pivotal victory for manager Xabi Alonso’s side.
In the first round of fixtures since the death of legendary German footballer, Franz Beckenbauer, a moment of silence was held before kick-off with both sets of players paying tribute.
Augsburg thought they had taken the lead through Phillip Tietz but the striker saw his 70th minute effort ruled out for offside. There was no denying Palacios though, whose rocket finish in the 94th minute stole maximum points.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
