Schick hat-trick as Leverkusen beat Bochum

Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 Bochum
Goals: 1-0 Schick pen. 30', 2-0 Schick 32' (assist: Frimpong), 3-0 Schick 45+1' (assist: Grimaldo), 4-0 Boniface 69' (assist: Wirtz)

Unbeaten league leaders Leverkusen kicked off against the last side to beat them in the Bundesliga amid a noisy, festive atmosphere at the BayArena. Visitors Bochum showed their strong recent form is no accident with a high-intensity start that saw them get the better of the early play. Takuma Asano got behind the Leverkusen defence, but was denied by a superb Josip Stanišić sliding tackle, and Christopher Antwi-Adjei had an effort deflected wide. An even encounter after 30 minutes was suddenly seized by one man, however, with Schick smashing a sensational first-half hat-trick on his first Bundesliga start in 14 months. The first came from the penalty spot after he was brought down by Manuel Riemann, the second was smashed in after Jeremie Frimpong centred, and the third was headed in from a corner in stoppage time. 

The burst of three goals before the break gave Leverkusen a superb cushion to take into the second period. The Werkself were content to pass the ball around and patiently seek further opportunities, which duly came via Frimpong and Jonas Hofmann. Robert Andrich then headed the ball into the net only to be denied by an offside flag. Victor Boniface turned in the fourth within minutes of replacing Schick as a second-half substitute, latching on to Wirtz's neat through-ball. Fellow substitute Adam Hložek then had a chance for a fifth from a Frimpong cut-back. No further goals came despite continued pressure, but the Leverkusen fans could celebrate regardless after a supreme performance that underscored their dominance of the Bundesliga so far this season.

• Leverkusen's 25-game unbeaten run at the start of a campaign is the longest in German history, beating Hamburg's streak in 1982/83.
• Alonso's men have averaged 2.625 points per game this term, which is more than any other side in Europe's top five leagues.
• Schick scored his second hat-trick in his 97th Bundesliga appearance.
• Bernardo won 81 percent of his challenges tonight, more than any other Bochum player. He has won more challenges than any other player in the Bundesliga this season.
• After defeats in Stuttgart (0-5) and Munich (0-7), tonight saw Bochum lose an away match by four goals or more for the third time this season.
• Tonight's defeat was just Bochum's second in eight Bundesliga matches.

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Watch: Patrik Schick "happy to be healthy again"

Leverkusen: Hrádecký (c) - Stanišić, Tah (Tapsoba 67'), Hincapie (Puerta 73)' - Frimpong, Andrich, Xhaka, Grimaldo - Hofmann (Hložek 73'), Wirtz (Amiri 87') - Schick (Boniface 67')
Unused subs: Kovář, Kossounou, Tella, Adli,
Out: Arthur (thigh), Palacios (suspended)
Coach: Xabi Alonso 

Bochum: Riemann - Gamboa, Mašović (Loosli 69'), Schlotterbeck, Bernardo - Osterhage, Losilla (c) (Oermann 87'), Bero - Asano (Soares 46'), Paciência (Förster 63'), Antwi-Adjei (Broschinski 63')
Unused subs: Thiede, Wittek, Daschner, Kwarteng
Out: Esser (knee), Mousset (Achilles), Ordets (thigh), Osei-Tutu (ill), Stöger (suspended), Tolba (knee)
Coach: Thomas Letsch

Watch: Xabi Alonso on Leverkusen's unbeaten record run