Michal Kadlec Free-Kick, Gonzalo Castro Header Put Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Ahead

It’s been a very quiet opening half at Borussia-Park and Borussia Mönchengladbach have had more chances, and better ones, but they’re behind at home yet again after Michal Kadlec scored a brilliant free-kick for Bayer Leverkusen before Gonzalo Castro made it 2-0 on the stroke of halftime. The visitors have had much more of the ball, but didn’t conjure up a shot until the thirty-third minute, while ‘Gladbach have been trying to get the ball forward quickly to negate Leverkusen’s control of the midfield.

Borussia had the first opportunity of the day, Mohammadou Idrissou hitting a very weak shot right at Rene Adler on fourteen minutes after a ‘Gladbach free-kick had not been cleared. Marco Reus hit the crossbar on twenty-five minutes, and Mike Hanke struck a difficult half-volley right at Adler shortly after. However, when Leverkusen got their chances, they took them. Martin Stranzl fouled Gonzalo Castro about twenty yards out, just right of the penalty arc. Michal Kadlec stepped up and curled the ball brilliantly into the top right corner, far out of the reach of Christofer Heimeroth. ‘Gladbach tried to get back into the game after going behind, but Leverkusen looked to have put the game out of reach just before halftime; Arturo Vidal crossed from the corner of the penalty area for Gonzalo Castro, who ghosted in at the back post and scored from the easiest of headers to make it 2-0.