Super Eagles midfielder, Nathan Tella scored but was denied by VAR as Bayer Leverkusen defeated St. Pauli 2-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday to extend their winning streak to five games in all competitions.
Leverkusen tactician, Xabi Alonso set up the team in a 3-5-2 formation, deploying Tella in an unfamiliar false 9 role with Florian Wirtz supporting the Nigerian with his creativity and eye for passes.
The home team set the tone with a blistering start, catching their opponents off guard with a stunning early goal by star player, Florian Wirtz. They doubled the lead in the 21st minute as Aleix Garcia delivered a pin-point corner that was converted by Jonathan Tah
Just as Leverkusen thought they had sealed the win close to half-time, the Video Assistant Referee denied Tella’s strike, ruling the goal offside to the disappointment of the home supporters. Despite the offside call, Tella was valuable in the false 9 role, working hard to press high and regain possession, while also winning the most fouls (3) in the game.
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With the win, Leverkusen are now on 26 points in 13 Bundesliga games. They host Inter next in the Champions League as they attempt to maintain their spot in the top 8, guaranteeing automatic qualification to the Round of 16.
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