Leverkusen crush Leipzig 4-1 in German Bundesliga

BERLIN, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Bayer Leverkusen bounced back from one goal down and overpowered hosts Leipzig 4-1 to conclude the 29th round in Bundesliga on Monday.

After two winless games, the "Werkself" returned to winning ways and underline the UEFA Champions League ambitions.

Leverkusen's four goals were from Kai Havertz, Julian Brandt, Panagiotis Retsos and Kevin Volland.

Both sides staged a lively opening period with chances at both ends of the pitch. The hosts opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Yussuf Poulsen's header assisted Marcel Sabitzer to volley home from 14 meters.

Leverkusen, who responded well but lacked in accuracy in their finish, had to wait until the 45th minute when Havertz completed a fast break with a volley to restore parity.

Leverkusen assumed control and turned the tides with six minutes into the second half as Julian Brandt capitalized on Kevin Volland's assist to slot home from the edge of the box.

Heiko Herrlich's men gained momentum and extended their lead through Panagiotis Retsos, who poked home a free kick inside the box with 56 minutes into the game

The visitors were not done with the scoring and continued to press forward as Kevin Volland benefitted on Charles Aranguiz square pass to round off the 4-1 victory.

"We took the lead but unfortunately we gradually handed over control. During the second half we lacked inspiration," Leipzig's midfielder Kevin Kampl said.

"The key to victory was our team spirit. We never give up and today we were rewarded for our resilience," Bayer Leverkusen's defender Panagiotis Retsos said.

With the result, Leipzig dropped out of the top four and slipped to the 6th place as their five-game unbeaten streak came to end. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen climbed onto the 4th position, which would ensure a berth for Europe's elite competition. Enditem