HAMBURG: Bayer Leverkusen needed the magic touch of Alejandro Grimaldo to set up goals for Edmond Tapsoba and Ernest Poku and earn a 2-1 victory at St. Pauli on Saturday, maintaining their league-record unbeaten run on the road.
Spain international Grimaldo floated a freekick into the box and Tapsoba pounced on a bad clearance to rifle in from close range for a 25th-minute lead.
Leverkusen, domestic double winners in 2024 and runners-up last season, have struggled for form so far with new coach Kasper Hjulmand demanding more time.
They saw St. Pauli bounce back with Hauke Wahl seven minutes later, but Grimaldo delivered a perfectly-timed assist for the 21-year-old Poku in the 58th and the Dutchman drilled the ball past keeper Nikola Vasilj to put them back in front.
Leverkusen, who face PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday, held on to the three points to stretch their undefeated run in away matches in the Bundesliga to 36, and climb to fourth on eight points, seven behind leaders Bayern Munich.
Grimaldo touch helps Leverkusen to beat St. Pauli 2-1
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Grimaldo touch helps Leverkusen to beat St. Pauli 2-1
- Leverkusen have struggled for form so far with new coach Kasper Hjulmand demanding more time
- They saw St. Pauli bounce back with Hauke Wahl seven minutes later
Rory McIlroy wins seventh Race to Dubai title
- McIlroy moved past the legendary Spaniard Seve Ballesteros
- He is now one closer to Colin Montgomerie’s all-time record of eight Order of Merit titles
DUBAI: Rory McIlroy was on Sunday crowned the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai champion for a seventh year, and four seasons in a row, but the world No.2 lost the $10 million Tour Championship to England’s Matt Fitzpatrick in the first playoff hole when he found the water with his tee shot.
At the Earth course of Jumeirah Golf Estates on Sunday, Fitzpatrick (66) made a birdie on the 72nd hole of regulation play to set the mark at 18-under par.
A few minutes later, McIlroy sensationally eagled the same hole after a brilliant second shot to 16 feet.
Four players — England’s Tommy Fleetwood (67) and Laurie Canter (67), Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg (66) and Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (68) — were tied third at 17-under par total.
McIlroy moved past the legendary Spaniard Seve Ballesteros and is now one closer to Colin Montgomerie’s all-time record of eight Order of Merit titles.
It is Fitzpatrick’s third DP World Tour Championship title (2016 and 2020) and a 10th DP World Tour victory in 195 starts. The win is projected to lift him to No24 on the Official World Golf Ranking.
