WOLFSBURG, Germany: Patrik Schick scored a first-half hat-trick as Bayer Leverkusen thumped Bochum 4-0 at home to stay four points clear of Bayern Munich, who won 2-1 at Wolfsburg on Wednesday.
Harry Kane’s 21st league goal was the difference in Bayern’s victory but Leverkusen continued their stellar record to claim the three points and keep the German champions at bay.
With January’s Africa Cup of Nations in mind, Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso rested several first teamers, including Nigeria striker Victor Boniface.
Schick, handed his first league start in 14 months, repayed his manager’s faith, winning and converting a penalty after half an hour.
The Czech forward doubled up two minutes later, slamming in a Jeremie Frimpong cross to make it 2-0. He scored again, this time heading in a corner, just before the break.
Alonso took Schick off to a standing ovation midway through the second-half for Boniface, who scored two minutes after coming on.
An undermanned Bayern were made to work to keep pace with Leverkusen, Kane and Jamal Musiala scoring first-half goals to victory at Wolfsburg.
Playing a second straight time without the flu-hit midfield duo of Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich, Bayern rushed out to a 2-0 lead but were pegged back before half-time by a Max Arnold stunner.
The German champions dug in throughout the second-half against a dogged Wolfsburg side coached by former Bayern mentor Niko Kovac, but held on to claim a valuable three points in what is emerging as a true two-horse title race.
Elsewhere, Stuttgart rebounded from Sunday’s 3-0 loss at Bayern, beating Augsburg at home by the same scoreline to leapfrog RB Leipzig into third spot.
Stuttgart’s star striker Serhou Guirassy scored again, his 17th of the campaign, while Denis Undav and Chris Fuehrich also got on the scoresheet for the home side.
Promoted Heidenheim continued their impressive debut Bundesliga season, coming from behind twice to win 3-2 at home with Freiburg.
Eintracht Frankfurt scored two goals in injury time to come from behind and win 2-1 at home against Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Gladbach were on course for victory thanks to a first-half goal from Max Woeber, but the goalscorer was sent from the field with two minutes remaining.
Frankfurt’s Aurelio Buta and Robin Koch made the most of the numerical advantage, scoring to turn the game.
Struggling Union Berlin won 2-0 at home to Cologne to move out of the German Bundesliga’s relegation zone.
Second-half goals to Benedict Hollerbach and David Fofana took Union to their fourth win of their season and only their second dating back to August.
Hollerbach scored with a superb solo effort, blasting into the top of the net while Chelsea loanee Fofana produced a mirror image goal with 12 minutes remaining to seal the result.
Union, who signed off from their debut Champions League campaign in the German capital last Wednesday with a 3-2 loss to Real Madrid, have now won two home league matches in a row under new manager Nenad Bjelica.
The loss leaves Cologne stuck in second-last spot on the table, with just two wins from 16 games so far this season.
“It’s clear that in this situation everything is called into question — including the coach” said Cologne manager Steffen Baumgart, telling Sky “it doesn’t look good for us.”
Schick hits hat-trick as Leverkusen beat Bochum, Kane scores in Bayern win
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Schick hits hat-trick as Leverkusen beat Bochum, Kane scores in Bayern win
- Harry Kane’s 21st league goal was the difference in Bayern’s victory
- Leverkusen continued their stellar record to claim the three points and keep the German champions at bay
Napoli cruise past Milan to book Italian Super Cup final spot in Riyadh
- Napoli make second Super Cup final in new four-team format, which was introduced in the Kingdom in 2023
- Milan rue missed chances as Rafael Leao’s absence due to knock proves costly
RIYADH: On one of the coldest evenings of the year in Riyadh, the atmosphere inside Al-Awwal Park was anything but subdued. Thousands of fans braved the conditions to witness another major chapter in Saudi Arabia’s growing international calendar, as Napoli and AC Milan went head-to-head in the first semi-final of the 2025/26 Italian Super Cup.
It wasn’t to be for I Rossoneri, as goals from David Neres and Rasmus Hojlund proved decisive for Napoli, sending them into the Super Cup final for the second time in the new four-team format after missing out on last year’s edition.
Backed by raucous Forza Milan chants, Milan nearly opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Ruben Loftus-Cheek tested Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, who reacted sharply to make a vital save.
Napoli responded with a spell of pressure of their own, but were repeatedly denied by a well-organised Milan defence.
Milan came close again in the 34th minute, as Adrien Rabiot was found inside the six-yard box from a dipping cross, only for his effort to fly over Milinkovic-Savic.
They would keep that momentum going as just a few minutes later, a swift counter-attack led by Alexis Saelemaekers found Christopher Nkunku on the edge of the box, though his strike also flew over goal.
Napoli punished Milan’s missed chances in the 39th minute. A low pass from Rasmus Hojlund across the box was parried by Mike Maignan straight into the path of David Neres, who made no mistake slotting the ball into the open net.
Napoli pushed for a second before the interval, with Hojlund testing Maignan again, who turned the striker’s effort behind for a corner. The Milan goalkeeper was called into action once again in the second half, producing a strong save to deny Amir Rrahmani.
Yet it was another powerful strike that finally broke past the Frenchman, with Rasmus Hojlund capitalising on a deep through ball from Leonardo Spinazzola to extend Napoli’s lead in the 63rd minute and tighten their grip on the game.
Milan fans briefly found a lift in the 75th minute when Luka Modric came out to a standing ovation, though it proved to be their only notable moment of the second half. Despite enjoying spells of possession, Massimiliano Allegri’s side were unable to break through and exited the tournament after just 90 minutes.
Napoli will now turn their attention to the final, where they will look to lift the Italian Super Cup for the third time in their history. For Riyadh, the semi-final marked another night of elite European football, with fans set to witness more action in tomorrow’s semi-final between Bologna and Inter Milan.
