Bayer Leverkusen push past Paderborn, rise to fourth in Bundesliga

Updated: May 17, 2023, 06:20 am

Bayer Leverkusen rose to fourth in the Bundesliga thanks to a 3-0 win at Paderborn, although they were made to work hard for all three points by the league strugglers.

All three goals arrived in the final 17 minutes with Kyriakos Papadopoulos heading in the opener and Son Heung-min adding the second and third.

Paderborn had controlled the game up until then, but failed to find the goals they needed to move out of the bottom three.

Being last up this weekend, Paderborn knew precisely what three points would be worth to them with a rise of two positions possible with maximum points.

Leverkusen also needed to win to regain fourth from Schalke, but it was the hosts who showed greater hunger.

Alban Meha's curling free-kick which was saved well by Bernd Leno was the closest they came to breaking the deadlock in the first half, however.

Son Heung-Min celebrates his goal in Leverkusen's 3-0 defeat of Paderborn.
AP Photo/Frank Augstein

The second half started in similar fashion, but Paderborn seemed to suffer a mental blockage as soon as the goal came within sight.

Suleyman Koc and Stefan Kutschke both lacked composure at telling times when all they needed was a player to but his boot through the ball and test Leno.

They were punished in the 73rd minute when Leverkusen went in front with practically their first attempt on goal of the game.

Papadopoulos rose to flick on Gonzalo Castro's free-kick, leaving a flat-footed Lukas Kruse in the Paderborn goal just watching as the ball went in.

Stefan Kiessling nearly knocked Kruse out as his shot struck the Paderborn custodian full on in his face with Leverkusen sportingly putting the ball out rather than launching another attack with the Kruse awaiting treatment.

Julian Brandt should have tested Kruse more with a close-range volley before Son sealed Leverkusen's victory and showed Brandt how it is meant to be done from Castro's headed cross, side-footing the ball wide of the Paderborn goalkeeper.

Son then added a third in stoppage time, curling a low effort into the bottom right-hand corner to give Leverkusen a handsome yet hard-fought win.