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Sports

Lucas Alario fills the vacuum for Leverkusen

November 1, 2020

Bayer Leverkusen scored four in Freiburg to jump ahead of Gladbach ahead of their meeting next weekend. The star of the show was Lucas Alario, who is stepping out of the shadow of Leverkusen's departed stars.

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Alario scored two in Freiburg
Image: Alex Grimm/Getty Images

Freiburg 2-4 Leverkusen, Schwarzwald Stadion
(Höler 3', Petersen 72' — Alario 29', 42', Amiri 64', Tah 76')

Considering how important Kai Havertz had been to Bayer Leverkusen'sfootball identity in recent years, it's a minor miracle that the club is one of the Bundesliga's two remaining unbeaten teams this season. Leverkusen are also leading the peloton behind the big three of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.

Next weekend's contest between Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach already looks like an early shootout for fourth. Last season, Gladbach finished two points above Leverkusen, forcing Peter Bosz and his team to settle for the Champions League's little brother tournament. This will only strengthen Leverkusen's resolve this time around.

An outsider

When they host Gladbach next Sunday, they will do so with one of the Bundesliga‘s in-form strikers leading the line. Lucas Alario has never been the star attraction at Leverkusen since his arrival from River Plate in 2017. Eclipsed by Kevin Volland, Leon Bailey, Julian Brandt and the aforementioned Havertz, Alario has been an outsider peering in at the club.

Starts have been hard to come by for the Argentine international. He amassed just 11 in the league last season, but his stats have always made for impressive reading. This season, he's scored in all but one of the five league games he's started. Against Freiburg he scored the first two on a day that Leverkusen hit four and showed the attacking instincts of a Bosz team at its best.

Alario led the line again for Leverkusen, scoring a brace to make it five league goals for him for the season
Alario led the line again for Leverkusen, scoring a brace to make it five league goals for him for the seasonImage: Tom Weller/dpa/picture alliance

"We know that he has a good nose for goals and is an absolute fighter," Lars Bender said of his teammate afterwards. "The fact that he does these things makes me personally happy for him, because he hasn't always had it easy in the last few years. We know how important he is for us."

Crisp finishes

Alario's first, a lasered shot into the bottom corner after a loose pass at the back, was followed by a crisp finish from Bender‘s cross. It was a double that put Leverkusen on the path to victory, albeit against a generous Freiburg defense. 

Following a double against Augsburg last weekend, Alario's brace in Freiburg takes his tally to five goals already this season.

Leverkusen's number 13 was a menace all afternoon and offered up further proof that he can fill the vacuum of Leverkusen's departed stars. He's certainly waited long enough for his chance.