Bayer Leverkusen concluded their Champions League group phase with a 2-0 victory against Sparta Prague at the BayArena. This win secured Leverkusen a spot in the quarter-finals, finishing among the top eight teams.
Sparta Prague, already eliminated from European competition in earlier rounds, had little at stake other than pride. Despite this, the match showcased Leverkusen's strong performance under coach Xabi Alonso.
The first half saw Leverkusen dominating play, with Patrik Schick missing a key opportunity from a Grimaldo cross. Goalkeeper Peter Vindahl of Sparta was kept busy, particularly as Florian Wirtz posed a constant threat. A VAR review denied Leverkusen a penalty, but Wirtz scored the opening goal in the 31st minute, finishing from 14 yards after a cutback from Jeremie Frimpong.
After halftime, Sparta Prague showed some resilience, with Victor Olatunji forcing a save from Matej Kovár. However, Leverkusen regained control when Alejandro Grimaldo's free kick was parried by Vindahl, allowing Nathan Tella to score from the rebound.
As the match progressed, Alonso opted to rest key players in preparation for an upcoming fixture against Hoffenheim, substituting Tella and Exequiel Palacios for Aleix Garcia and Robin Andrich. Late in the game, Arthur and Jonas Hofmann also saw action as Leverkusen comfortably secured their sixth-place finish in the group.
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