Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Mainz 05: Grimaldo's stunning freekick sees Leverkusen defeat visitors for seventh consecutive league win

Bayer Leverkusen maintained their defense of the Bundesliga title with a narrow 1-0 victory over Mainz at the BayArena, preventing the 05ers from achieving a third consecutive win against teams ranked in the top three at the start of the round.

As Leverkusen aimed for their seventh consecutive league win against opponents who had recently triumphed over Bayern Munich and Frankfurt, they controlled much of the first half.

In the seventh minute, Patrik Schick had a shot blocked, and shortly after, Piero Hincapie narrowly missed the target with a shot that went wide of Robin Zentner’s goal.

Florian Wirtz consistently posed a threat, taking a long-range shot that would have found the inside of Zentner’s left post had it not been for the goalkeeper's fingertips.

Alex Grimaldo also attempted to score from the edge of the box, forcing Mainz’s goalkeeper into another save.

However, any frustration Grimaldo experienced was transformed into a stunning opening goal early in the second half. A foul by Stefan Bell just outside the box allowed the Spaniard to take aim and deliver a superb free-kick that found the back of the net inside Zentner’s right post.

Leverkusen continued to search for a second goal that would likely secure the win, with another long-range effort from Wirtz testing Zentner, who managed to tip the ball over the bar.

The match was not entirely one-sided, as Nelson Weiper had a chance in the box, but his low shot towards the bottom-right corner lacked conviction, allowing Matej Kovar to comfortably make the save.

Jeremie Frimpong had an opportunity to seal the game with about 20 minutes left, breaking into the box after a brilliant solo run. He aimed for the bottom-right corner, but Zentner was quick to thwart his attempt.

While this match was not an easy victory for Leverkusen, they ultimately deserved the win, bringing them within a point of league leaders Bayern Munich for the time being.

Mainz, who experienced the dismissal of head coach Bo Henriksen during injury time, may find themselves five points adrift of the top four by this time tomorrow, following only their second away defeat of the season.

SportsLigue