The Bundesliga champions, Bayer Leverkusen, battled past their hosts Borussia Dortmund with two goals from Patrik Schick on Friday to move to within a point of the leaders, Bayern Munich, with a sixth straight league win.
In a frenetic opening the visitors struck three times in the first 19 minutes as they enjoyed a perfect start to the year with the league resuming following a three-week winter break.
Dortmund, who twice cut the deficit, had fielded a largely makeshift team due to flu and injuries in what was their first home loss of the season.
A last-minute backline had to be cobbled together after the defenders Waldemar Anton, Emre Can, Ramy Bensebaini and Nico Schlotterbeck were all ruled out along with the long-time injured Niklas Süle.
It showed instantly with Leverkusen winning possession after some high pressing and Nathan Tella completing the move to give the visitors the lead after 25 seconds.
Dortmund had no time to regroup with Leverkusen scoring again in the eighth minute, the striker Schick sliding in to complete a textbook counterattack.
The hosts briefly recovered and pulled a goal back through Jamie Gittens four minutes later but Schick restored Leverkusen’s two-goal cushion with a fine finish at the far post after yet another quick break.
The Czech Republic international, who had also scored four times in the last game of 2024 against Freiburg, has now registered 11 league goals this season.
The hosts hardly had any chances in the second half but were thrown a lifeline when Serhou Guirassy converted a 79th-minute penalty.
Leverkusen survived late Dortmund pressure thanks mainly to some superb defending by Edmond Tapsoba and Piero Hincapié, to hold on and move up to 35 points, one behind Bayern, who travel to Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday.
Dortmund’s first home defeat of the campaign kept them anchored in sixth on 25 points.
