Brest and Bayer Leverkusen Share Points in Thrilling 1-1 Champions League Draw

Brest and Bayer Leverkusen saw their perfect starts to the Champions League group stage come to an end with a hard-fought 1-1 draw in Guingamp. Both sides, having won their first two matches, now sit on seven points following the intense encounter.

Leverkusen took the lead in the 24th minute through Florian Wirtz, who calmly slotted home after being set up by Jonas Hofmann. Wirtz nearly doubled his tally moments later with a dazzling run past four Brest defenders, but his effort was denied by Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot.

Despite Leverkusen’s dominance early on, Brest found an equalizer just before halftime. Pierre Lees-Melou delivered a stunning volley, ensuring the French side went into the break level. Brest, participating in their first-ever Champions League campaign, continued to press in the second half. Lees-Melou and Kenny Lala both had shots narrowly miss the target, while Bizot made another key save, tipping Mahdi Camara’s shot over the bar.

Leverkusen regained control in the later stages, with Massadio Haidara nearly scoring an own goal while attempting to clear a dangerous cross from Wirtz. The German champions also had two penalty appeals turned down by referee Ivan Kruzliak. The first came when Lees-Melou’s arm was struck by the ball, but it was judged to be in a natural position. The second, and more controversial, incident occurred in the final minute of normal time when Hofmann went down in the box after a challenge by Soumaila Coulibaly. Both the on-field referee and the VAR ruled that Coulibaly had made contact with the ball first, prompting protests from Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, who was shown a yellow card after the final whistle for his heated objections.

Despite the draw, both teams remain in strong positions in their group, with seven points each from three matches. Brest, with their spirited performance in their debut Champions League campaign, continue to impress, while Leverkusen will look to maintain their form as the group stage progresses.