Kasper Hjulmand hailed Patrik Schick’s management qualities after the striker’s hat-trick in opposition to RB Leipzig pushed Bayer Leverkusen ever nearer to Champions League qualification.
Leverkusen maintained their grip on fourth place within the Bundesliga with a dominant victory over third-placed Leipzig on the BayArena on Saturday.
Schick scored his fifth Bundesliga hat-trick – and his first since netting 4 instances in opposition to Freiburg in December 2024 – and was joined on the scoresheet by Nathan Tella.
The Czechia worldwide has scored 9 targets in his final six Bundesliga matches – greater than every other participant in Europe’s prime 5 leagues since March 20.
“He seems to be very recent and alert,” Hjulmand mentioned of his star striker, chatting with the membership’s web site.
“His present kind is spectacular, and he’s additionally essential for the staff as a frontrunner on the pitch and within the dressing room.”
Leverkusen have been totally dominant going ahead, as their 23 photographs (eight of which have been on the right track) added as much as 4.42 anticipated targets (xG).
That’s their second-highest tally in a Bundesliga match this season, having racked up 4.52 xG in a 6-3 win over Wolfsburg final month.
Previous to that, they’d not amassed 4 or extra xG in a league sport since their 2023-24 title-winning marketing campaign beneath Xabi Alonso.
“I would like to provide a giant praise to our stadium and our vocal followers. That was unbelievable vitality, and we would have liked it at present,” Hjulmand mentioned.
“It was among the best performances of the season. We had ardour, however have been additionally well-structured, with direct passing and powerful counter-pressing.”
With two video games remaining, Leverkusen are stage on factors with each Stuttgart and Hoffenheim, who sit fifth and sixth, respectively, after taking part in out a 3-3 draw on Saturday.
Leverkusen’s purpose distinction is just marginally higher than Stuttgart’s, and they’ll face one another in an enormous sport on the MHPArena subsequent week.
“It was an ideal sport from all of us. You would see how a lot we wished this win and the way a lot we wish to get into the Champions League as a staff,” ahead Ibrahim Maza mentioned.
“Now we have to win 3 times, and we took step one at present. We are able to’t relaxation now; we now have to carry out like we did at present in Stuttgart.”