Bayer Leverkusen delivered an impressive performance on Thursday as they defeated Polish side Lech Poznań 4-0 away from home in the UEFA Europa League.
The German club established a commanding three-goal advantage in the first half before adding a late fourth to seal a comfortable victory in Poznań.
Patrik Schick scored twice from the penalty spot, while Malik Tillman and Ibrahim Maza also found the net to complete Leverkusen’s dominant display.
Leverkusen’s victory was built on their attacking efficiency and control of possession, with the visitors creating significantly more scoring opportunities than their hosts.
The match also saw both teams suffer early injury setbacks.
Lech were forced to replace Wojciech Mońka in the 15th minute, while Martin Terrier was substituted three minutes later, with Schick coming on for Leverkusen.
The visitors took the lead in the 29th minute when Schick converted a penalty.
Three minutes later, Tillman doubled their advantage with a close-range finish after a well-worked attacking move.
Schick appeared to have another opportunity to score from the spot in the 38th minute, but a video assistant referee review overturned the decision.
However, Leverkusen were awarded another penalty in the 41st minute, and Schick made no mistake to give his side a 3-0 lead before the interval.
Leverkusen maintained their control after the restart, limiting Lech’s attacking threat while continuing to create opportunities.
The hosts attempted to find a way back into the contest through set pieces and counterattacks but struggled to seriously trouble the visitors’ defence.
Leverkusen made several substitutions in the 62nd minute, introducing Moussa Diaby, Robert Andrich and Facundo Medina as they managed the game.
The Bundesliga side eventually added a fourth goal in the 89th minute.
Afonso Moreira provided the assist for Maza, who calmly finished to complete the emphatic victory.
The statistics highlighted Leverkusen’s superiority throughout the encounter.
They recorded 22 shots, including 10 on target, compared with Lech’s 10 attempts and three efforts on target.
Leverkusen also registered 18 shots from inside the penalty area, while the hosts managed just three.
Their expected goals tally stood at 5.34, significantly higher than Lech’s 0.46.
The visitors enjoyed 61 per cent possession and completed 534 passes, compared with 296 by the home side.
They also created eight big chances, while Lech failed to register any.
Goalkeeper Mateusz Lis made seven saves for Lech, but his efforts could not prevent the hosts from suffering a heavy defeat.
Leverkusen goalkeeper Mark Flekken made three saves to preserve his side’s clean sheet.
Tillman was among the standout performers, scoring once and contributing significantly to Leverkusen’s attacking play.
He recorded four shots, created four key passes and made three interceptions.
The midfielder also completed 37 accurate passes and won eight duels, underlining his influence at both ends of the pitch.
Tillman received a Sofascore rating of 8.3, matching Maza’s score as the highest-rated players in the match.
Schick, meanwhile, emerged as the fans’ choice for Player of the Match after collecting 319 votes out of 641.
The result underlined Leverkusen’s attacking strength, as they combined clinical finishing with sustained pressure to secure a convincing away win in their Europa League campaign.
