Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen extend unbeaten run with demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt
Bayer Leverkusen players celebrate after the Bundesliga win over Eintracht Frankfurt at Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt
Champions Bayer Leverkusen extended their unbeaten streak as they hammered Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
The result leaves Leverkusen at the summit with 84 points, while Frankfurt sit sixth with 45. Leverkusen's record unbeaten run now extends to 48 matches across all competitions.
The result meant Leverkusen drew level with Benfica's record unbeaten run in all competitions, including European tournaments. The Portuguese club set their streak from December 1963 to February 1965.
Leverkusen broke the deadlock after 13 minutes when Granit Xhaka received the ball outside the box and sent a curling shot into the net.
The visitors could have gone two ahead minutes later but a valiant effort from the Frankfurt defence denied Leverkusen a clear opportunity on an open goal.
Frankfurt equalised after 33 minutes when Hugo Ekitike timed
his run into the box perfectly, stealing in behind the entire Leverkusen defence to direct a downward header into the net from
close range.
Leverkusen regained the lead just before halftime with Patrick Schick's towering header, and secured their third goal in the 58th minute from a penalty converted by Exequiel Palacios after Niels Nkounkou pulled Nathan Tella by his shirt.
Jeremie Frimpong added a fourth for the visitors in the 77th minute, while Victor Boniface made it five from the penalty spot a minute before time after Ansgar Knauff tripped Frimpong.
