FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Bundesliga - 1. FC Union Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen - Stadion An der Alten Forsterei, Berlin, Germany - November 30, 2024 Bayer Leverkusen's Patrik Schick celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo
(Reuters) -Bayer Leverkusen's Patrik Schick scored four times and Florian Wirtz added another to hand the Bundesliga side a commanding 5-1 home win over Freiburg on Saturday as the defending champions picked up their fifth straight league victory.
The win puts second-placed Leverkusen on 32 points, four off Bayern Munich, who thrashed RB Leipzig 5-1 on Friday.
"I scored four goals against (second-tier Greuther) Fuerth once, and again today," Schick said. "It wasn't my best game, but of course it's special to score four goals. But apart from that, I can still play better."
Freiburg, who had gone three league games unbeaten, had kept Leverkusen at bay for much of the first half with high pressing.
Schick finally opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time with a brilliant lob after a through ball from Wirtz, whose 33rd minute penalty had been saved by Noah Atubolu after the Germany midfielder was fouled by Ritsu Doan.
It was Atubolu's third penalty save in a row but did little to prevent his team suffering a heavy defeat.
Wirtz doubled the lead with a close-range finish at the near post six minutes after the break before the visitors got on the scoresheet with Vincenzo Grifo's low drive four minutes later.
Schick restored the hosts' two-goal advantage by heading home Wirtz's assist in the 67th and nabbed a hat-trick seven minutes later after again linking up with the 21-year-old.
The Czech international got his fourth goal with another header from a corner 13 minutes from time to complete the rout.
Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso made it 50 wins from 75 Bundesliga games to cap an historic year for the club who won the league and cup double and reached the Europa League final.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris and Toby Davis)
