Daily Times

BERLIN): Bayer Leverkusen moved top of the fledgling Bundesliga table after sweeping Augsburg aside 4-1 on Saturday thanks to two early own goals.Uncapped 18-year-old midfielder Florian Wirtz celebrated his Germany call-up on Friday by scoring the visitors’ fourth as the Werkself took top spot on goal difference.”I must compliment my team for the spirit they showed,” said Leverkusen coach Gerardo Seoane.”It was a strange first half, but luck was on our side.”Augsburg made a disastrous start when Brazilian defender Iago, then striker Florian Niederlechner both turned the ball into their own net to generously leave Leverkusen 2-0 up after 14 minutes.

Niederlechner made amends soon after when he stabbed home after Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky had rushed off his line.”Our first own goal was slapstick and mine was also absolutely bitterly disappointing,” fumed Niederlechner after the whistle.Just before the break, Leverkusen had a goal by Moussa Diaby ruled out by VAR for a handball in the build-up.It was one-way traffic in the second half as Leverkusen dominated their Bavarian hosts.Czech Republic striker Patrik Schick fired in their third goal, before Wirtz found the net from a tight angle late on.

A week after their shock win over Borussia Dortmund, Freiburg picked up another three points to go second after a 3-2 victory at Stuttgart, where all the goals came in a frantic first half.South Korea forward Jeong Woo-yeong, 21, made a dream start with two goals for the hosts in the opening nine minutes.The visitors’ lightning start continued when Freiburg striker Lucas Hoeler headed then 3-0 up after 28 minutes.Stuttgart hit back with rapid-fire goals at the end of the first 45 minutes when their striker Hamadi Al-Ghaddioui set up defender Konstantinos Mavropanos, then scored one of his own.

“I am delighted that we won and delighted that I scored two goals,” beamed Freiburg’s Jeong.Austrian midfielder Patrick Wimmer, signed from Austria Vienna, made a dream Bundesliga debut when he scored Arminia Bielefeld’s equaliser off the bench four minutes from time in a 1-1 draw at home to Eintracht Frankfurt.Eintrach coach Oliver Glasner, who turned 47 on Saturday, remains without a win from his first three games despite Norwegian new signing Jens PetterHauge giving the visitors a first-half lead.Later, champions Bayern Munich have the chance to leap up the table from eighth when they host bottom side Hertha Berlin.Wolfsburg can top the table again if they pick up their third straight league win at home to fellow Champions League side RB Leipzig on Sunday.