BERLIN: Florian Wirtz starred and Patrik Schick scored four goals as Bayer Leverkusen routed Freiburg 5-1 on Saturday to keep the pressure on Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich over the winter break.
Wirtz, who has yet to extend his Leverkusen contract, set up a hat trick for Schick and scored his seventh league goal of the season.
Leverkusen dominated but needed patience before Schick broke the deadlock with a chip over the goalkeeper right before the break.
Wirtz, whoād played Schick through, score after the break when he displayed brilliant close control to elude a defender before firing the ball inside the near post from a narrow angle.
Vincenzo Grifo pulled one back four minutes later, but Wirtz floated in a precise cross for Schick to head Leverkusenās third in the 67th, then laid the ball back for Schick to fire Leverkusenās fourth in the 74th.
āFor a striker, itās a dream to have this player behind you,ā Schick said of Wirtz.
Schick scored again with a header to a corner three minutes later ā the only goal that didnāt involve Wirtz.
Leverkusen stayed four points behind Bayern after its eighth straight win across all competitions.
Leverkusen resume their league defense at Borussia Dortmund on Jan. 10, while Bayern visit Borussia Mƶnchengladbach on Jan. 11.
Frankfurt goalkeeperās woes
Brazilian goalkeeper Kaua Santos endured a game to forget as his Eintracht Frankfurt was shocked by 10-man Mainz 3-1.
Frankfurt had 34 shots at goal compared to nine by the visitor, which played with a man less from the 21st after captain Nadiem Amiri was sent off for catching Ellyes Skhiriās right ankle with his studs.
Santos had already conceded an unfortunate own goal. The ākeeper played out a short pass to Skhiri, who was immediately under pressure from two Mainz players. Skhiri sent the ball looping back toward Santos, who deflected it onto the crossbar, from where it rebounded back off Santosā arm and in.
Mainzās Paul Nebel then scored with a deflected shot for 2-0, and Santos was at fault again when a botched pass invited another Mainz attack. Nebel grabbed his second goal in the 58th.
Rasmus Kristensen, who struck the crossbar in the first half, scored Frankfurtās consolation in the 75th.
āWe were already there for Kaua as a team on the field,ā Frankfurt defender Robin Koch said of Santosā bad day. āHeās a young player, these things happen. But heās a good guy, heāll come out of it and the same will help him with his development.ā
Regular goalkeeper Kevin Trapp and reserve Jens Grahl were out with illness.
Stuttgart stunned at home
Johannes Eggestein fired promoted St. Pauli to a 1-0 win at Stuttgart, last seasonās runner-up. Stuttgart had won their last four games across all competitions.
Union Berlinās winless run stretched to nine games across all competitions as Bo Svenssonās team slumped to a 4-1 defeat at Werder Bremen.
Holstein Kiel ended their five-game losing run by routing Augsburg 5-1, and Borussia Mƶnchengladbach won at Hoffenheim 2-1.
There were tributes with silences before all the games for the victims of an attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg the night before.
āThere are always more important things than football,ā Freiburg coach Christian GĆ¼nter said.
