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Kofane’s Half-Volley Lifts Leverkusen at Hamburg to Tighten Top-Four Race

Injury-hit Leverkusen leaned on young contributors during the snow-delayed fixture, trimming Stuttgart’s lead to three points.

Bayer Leverkusen forward Christian Kofane scores against Hamburg on Wednesday

Overview

  • Christian Kofane struck the winner in the 73rd minute from Ibrahim Maza’s clipped pass to seal a 1-0 victory at the Volksparkstadion.
  • Leverkusen move to 43 points, sitting sixth and now three behind fourth-placed Stuttgart in the chase for Champions League qualification.
  • Hamburg remain 11th after a third straight match without a win and hold a four-point buffer over the relegation play-off spot.
  • Key calls shaped the match as a Leverkusen goal was ruled out for Edmond Tapsoba’s handball and an earlier penalty award was overturned on VAR.
  • Kasper Hjulmand rotated through injuries with five changes and handed 18-year-old Montrell Culbreath his first senior start, playing 80 minutes.