VfL Bochum 0-5 Bayer Leverkusen: Leverkusen thump 10-man hosts to extend unbeaten run to 50 matches

Bayer Leverkusen's historic run during the 2023/24 season, where they achieved a record-breaking 50th game without defeat, may never be matched. Patrik Schick (28) initiated the victory with a dominant 5-0 win against Bochum, who were facing relegation.

The home team started positively, with Philipp Hofmann narrowly missing an early header. However, their task became more challenging when Felix Passlack was sent off for a foul on Nathan Tella, who was brought down while trying to reach a through ball.

This incident shifted the momentum in favor of Xabi Alonso's team, with Granit Xhaka hitting the crossbar from 20 yards shortly after.

Schick, who scored a hat-trick in the previous match in December, broke the deadlock just before halftime, skillfully converting Arthur's cross with a first-time finish.

Before the break, the visitors extended their lead as Victor Boniface scored from the penalty spot after Keven Schlotterbeck fouled Tella.

Bochum, who needed a point to secure their survival, faced a daunting task as Bayer had won all 24 league games this season in which they had scored first. The outcome of this record was never in doubt, as Schick came close to making it 3-0 shortly after the restart, only to be denied by Riemann. Boniface also struck the post from distance, adding to Bochum's woes.

As the game progressed, the visitors grew more dominant, and it seemed inevitable that they would score more goals. Schick narrowly missed the far post with another attempt, Xhaka's thunderbolt was saved, and Riemann made a crucial leg save to deny Adli.

However, the substitute didn't have to wait long to make an impact, scoring a towering header from a corner. Josip Stanisic then added a fourth goal with a magnificent curled strike from just inside the box, finding the bottom corner. Grimaldo completed the rout by tapping the ball into an empty net from Hofmann's pass.

Bayer now has the opportunity to achieve greatness by avoiding defeat in their final league game against Augsburg next week. On the other hand, Bochum is left anxiously awaiting their Bundesliga fate, as they face a crucial showdown with Werder Bremen on the final day.