Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen secure first Bundesliga title with five games to spare

By PA Sport Staff

Bayer Leverkusen sealed a maiden Bundesliga title in style as Florian Wirtz’s hat-trick wrapped up a comfortable 5-0 win over Werder Bremen.

Against a backdrop of expectation and cauldron of noise at the BayArena, Xabi Alonso’s side extended their unbeaten streak this season to 43 matches to end Bayern Munich’s run of 11 successive league titles.

Victor Boniface eased any nerves in the stadium with a 25th-minute penalty after Julian Malatin fouled Jonas Hofmann in the box, with referee Harm Osmers awarding the spot-kick following a VAR consultation.

Wave after wave of attack followed but Leverkusen were thwarted until Granit Xhaka curled home a left-foot strike from 25 yards on the hour to effectively end any hope of Bremen spoiling the party.

Wirtz, introduced on the stroke of half-time, then rifled high into the net from a similar distance midway through the second half and a brief pitch invasion followed when he bagged his second in the 83rd minute after going clean through on goal.

He had his treble with a fine finish, the last kick of the match which sparked another pitch invasion as Leverkusen got the victory they needed to guarantee the title with five matches left in the season.

Inter Milan remain 14 points clear atop Serie A after twice being pegged back in a 2-2 draw at home to Cagliari.

After closest challengers AC Milan drew 3-3 at Sassuolo earlier on, Inter could have moved 16 points ahead with six fixtures left and they led at the interval courtesy of Marcus Thuram’s early strike.

Eldor Shomurodov drew Cagliari level and while Hakan Calhanoglu put Inter back ahead from the spot, Nicolas Viola made sure of a point apiece with his 82nd-minute strike from close range.

The stalemate might just be a mere hiccup for Inter, who can seal a first Scudetto in three years by beating city rivals Milan next Monday.

Roma defender Evan Ndicka is recovering in hospital after collapsing on the pitch during his side’s clash with Udinese.

The game at the Bluenergy Stadium was abandoned after 72 minutes with the score at 1-1 after the 24-year-old Ivory Coast international went down off the ball.

Ndicka was carried off on a stretcher after undergoing treatment on the pitch, but Roma later confirmed that the former Auxerre and Eintracht Frankfurt player was “feeling better” and “in good spirits” after being taken to hospital for checks.

Brest were unable to narrow a 10-point deficit on Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain after squandering a 3-1 lead at Lyon to lose 4-3 at the Groupama Stadium.

While Corentin Tolisso put Lyon ahead, the visitors struck three times in seven second-half minutes through Steve Mounie and Romain Del Castillo’s brace but Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Tagliafico levelled.

Tagliafico and Pierre Lees-Melou were given their marching orders after a clash late on before Ainsley Maitland-Niles sealed victory with his penalty in the 16th minute of time added-on in a chaotic finish.