BERLIN: Exequiel Palacios scored in the fourth minute of injury time to earn Bayer Leverkusen a 1-0 win at Augsburg, keeping them four points clear of chasers Bayern Munich.
Bayern’s 3-0 home win over Hoffenheim on Friday turned up the heat on leaders Leverkusen.
The visitors looked set to drop points for just the fourth time this season, but the Argentinian world champion volleyed the ball in with almost the last kick of the game from an Alex Grimaldo cross.
The goal may prove crucial in the title race as Leverkusen restored their four-point lead atop the table, with second-placed Bayern having a game in hand.
On the first weekend of fixtures since Franz Beckenbauer died aged 78, each match began after a moment of silence and a tribute to the German football legend.
Leverkusen looked slick early, carving out several chances as they dominated possession, but lacked the final killer blow without injured striker Victor Boniface.
Augsburg looked to have taken the lead through Phillip Tietz with 20 minutes remaining, but the striker’s goal was flagged for offside.
Grimaldo found Palacios in the final minute of injury time, the midfielder slamming a perfect shot into the goal before being embraced by his elated teammates.
Elsewhere, Eintracht Frankfurt won 1-0 at RB Leipzig to leapfrog Borussia Dortmund into fifth place.
Frankfurt took the lead just seven minutes in, Ansgar Knauff slamming a brilliant curved pass from Niels Nkounkou into the net.
Leipzig pushed for an equalizer but Frankfurt held on, consigning the German Cup holders to their first home loss of the season.
Union Berlin held Freiburg to a scoreless draw away, continuing their solid if unspectacular form under new manager Nenad Bjelica.
Union had lost nine league games in a row prior to the Croat’s arrival, but have now lost just one in four to stay one spot clear of the relegation spots.
Cologne missed a chance to move out of the automatic relegation places, conceding a second-half goal to draw 1-1 with promoted Heidenheim.
Strugglers Mainz fought from a goal down to draw 1-1 at home with Wolfsburg, picking up a valuable point to keep them above the relegation spots.
Later on Saturday, Borussia Dortmund can take advantage of Leipzig’s loss by moving to within three points of fourth place with a win at last-placed Darmstadt.
England winger Jadon Sancho in line to play for the visitors for the first time since 2021, having returned this week on a six-month loan from Manchester United.
Palacios scores late winner for Bundesliga leaders Leverkusen
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Palacios scores late winner for Bundesliga leaders Leverkusen
- Bayern’s 3-0 home win over Hoffenheim on Friday turned up the heat on leaders Leverkusen
- The visitors looked set to drop points for just the fourth time this season
Gordon scores four as Newcastle hit Qarabag for six
- Gordon stole the show by netting four times before half-time
- England forward Gordon has netted 14 times this season, including 10 in the Champions League
BAKU: Anthony Gordon starred with a brilliant four-goal haul as Newcastle crushed Qarabag 6-1 in the first leg of their Champions League play-off tie on Wednesday.
Gordon stole the show by netting four times before half-time at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium.
Malick Thiaw was also on target for Newcastle before the interval and Jacob Murphy netted after the break to complete the demolition.
Elvin Jafarguliyev’s second-half reply was little consolation for Azerbaijani underdogs Qarabag, who paid the price for wretched defending in a miserable performance.
England forward Gordon has netted 14 times this season, including 10 in the Champions League, taking him past Alan Shearer as Newcastle’s highest scorer in a single campaign in Europe’s elite club competition.
Gordon’s memorable night on the shores of the Caspian Sea ensured the second leg at St. James’ Park on February 24 should be a mere formality.
Barring a miracle comeback from Qarabag, Eddie Howe’s side will face Barcelona or Chelsea in the last 16.
Having ended Newcastle’s 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy by winning the League Cup last season, Howe set his sights on more history this week, admitting it would “mean everything” to steer them into the Champions League last 16 for the first time.
Howe’s cherished target is now within touching distance.
Booed off less than two weeks ago after a defeat against Brentford, Newcastle made the 2,529-mile trip to Baku revitalized by successive away victories against Tottenham in the Premier League and Aston Villa in the FA Cup.
It was the longest journey any English team had ever made for a Champions League knockout game, but there was no sign of fatigue as Newcastle ripped Qarabag to shreds.
Gordon started as Newcastle’s central striker as Howe again deployed misfiring German forward Nick Woltemade in a deeper role.
- Gordon runs riot -
Howe’s decision to make Gordon the focal point of his attack paid off after just three minutes.
Dan Burn advanced from defense and played a perfect pass toward Gordon, who timed his run to beat the Qarabag offside trap before planting a clinical finish into the far corner from 12 yards.
Qarabag beat Benfica, Copenhagen and Eintracht Frankfurt and drew with Chelsea in the group stage.
Yet it was their 6-0 thrashing at Liverpool in the last game of the phase that proved more relevant as Newcastle doubled their advantage in the eighth minute.
Kieran Trippier’s pin-point cross picked out Thiaw and he guided a composed header past Mateusz Kochalski from close range.
Newcastle were carving open the creaky Qarabag defense at will and their barrage brought a third goal in the 32nd minute.
Matheus Silva blocked Harvey Barnes’ shot with his arm as he slid along the turf and Gordon stroked in the resulting penalty.
Gordon bagged his third goal in predatory style just 60 seconds later, seizing on Kevin Medina’s slip and rounding Kochalski to slot into the empty net.
It was Gordon’s first professional hat-trick, making him only the third Newcastle player to score a Champions League treble after Shearer and Faustino Asprilla.
Gordon’s 33-minute haul was also the fastest Champions League hat-trick by an English player.
The 24-year-old wasn’t finished yet and his break into the area ended with Kochalski fouling him, conceding a penalty that Gordon converted with ease.
Jafarguliyev got one back in the 54th minute with a low drive that was initially disallowed for offside before VAR allowed the goal to stand.
Murphy notched his first goal in the Champions League in the 72nd minute, whipping a deflected strike past Kochalski to put the seal on Newcastle’s perfect evening.
