Maza and Schick combine to sink Freiburg as Leverkusen claim 2-1 win

Maza inspires Leverkusen comeback

Bayer Leverkusen came from behind to beat Freiburg 2-1 at the BayArena, with Ibrahim Maza involved in both goals and Patrik Schick scoring the decisive finish. The result ended Freiburg’s strong start after they arrived as early Bundesliga table leaders.

Freiburg took the lead in the 14th minute when Philipp Treu helped win possession and set the move in motion down the right. Niklas Beste was involved in the build-up before Derry Scherhant finished from close range. Leverkusen responded five minutes later: Schick helped create the chance before Maza finished emphatically to level the score.

Late winner seals the points

After a closely contested first half and a cautious opening to the second, Leverkusen took control. The breakthrough came in the 76th minute, when Maza wriggled past defenders near the byline and squared the ball for Schick to convert.

The goal was Schick’s sixth in as many Bundesliga appearances at the start of the campaign, making him the first Leverkusen player to score in each of the club’s opening six league matches in a season. Freiburg pressed for an equaliser late on, but Lucas Höler headed narrowly wide in the closing moments and Leverkusen held on.

Pair praise their growing understanding

Maza said he improvised when creating the winner. “I was a little cheeky in a tight space, and there are only so many options in that situation. Sometimes something like that works well, sometimes it doesn't work at all. Today, it was perfect,” he said.

He also described his connection with Schick as a positive force: “I get on really well with Schicki. We were able to help each other with the goals today. Things are working really well between us at the moment.”

Schick called Freiburg one of the strongest teams in the division and said the result mattered in the league table. He added that Leverkusen were improving by avoiding the simple mistakes that had hurt them earlier in the season. Maza was named Man of the Match after scoring the equaliser and producing the assist for the winner.