Bundesliga: Moussa Diaby crashes Ricardo Pepi party as Leverkusen march on

Leverkusen,
January
23:
A
potentially
intriguing
battle
between
two
of
the
Bundesliga’s
most
high-profile
talents
meant
that
Bayer
Leverkusen’s
home
game
against
Augsburg
attracted
somewhat
more
attention
that
it
perhaps
otherwise
would
have.

But
while
international
media
and
curious
scouts
may
have
been
keen
to
see
what
Augsburg’s
new
American
signing
Ricardo
Pepi
(19)
could
do
to
a
leaky
Leverkusen
defense,
the
750
home
fans
only
had
eyes
for
their

Werkself
and
teenage
talisman
Florian
Wirtz
(18).

In
the
end,
though,
it
was
a
Moussa
Diaby
masterclass
which
secured
three
well-deserved
points
for
a
clearly
superior
Leverkusen.

Moussa
masterclass

Diaby
had
already
played
a
key
role
in
setting
up
Karim
Bellarabi’s
opener
before
adding
three
more
himself,
two
clinical
finishes
when
one-on-one
came
either
side
of
an
effort
on
the
rebound.

“My
first
goal
was
my
favorite
one,”
Diaby
told
DW
post-match.
“Because
it
came
from
a
pass
from
Amine
[Adli]
after
a
nice
move,
and
then
I
was
able
to
finish
it
well.”

????????????

pic.twitter.com/zxHIntBB1k

—
Bayer
04
Leverkusen
(@bayer04_en)

January
22,
2022

The
Frenchman
now
has
11
goals
across
the
Bundesliga
and
Europa
League
this
season,
demonstrating
exactly
why
Didier
Deschamps
has
called
him
up
for
the
French
national
team.

“I
think
he
appreciates
my
offensive
qualities,”
said
Diaby.
“I
can
cover
a
lot
of
ground
with
my
pace
and
I
can
play
key
passes.”

Little
can
stop
the
miniature
winger
when
he’s
in
full
flow
—
especially
when
his
runs
are
spotted
by
teammates
with
the
vision
of
Wirtz.

The
co-cover
star
of
this
month’s

11FREUNDE
football
magazine
—
alongside
his
sister
and
fellow
Leverkusen
player
Juliane
—
adopted
a
slightly
deeper
position
against
Augsburg
due
to
absentees,
but
still
had
a
decisive
influence
on
the
game
with
key
passes.

“Florian
is
a
super
player
and
he
will
go
on
to
do
great
things
in
future,”
said
Diaby.
“We
have
a
really
good
understanding
and
we
get
on
well
off
the
pitch
too
—
he
even
speaks
a
bit
of
French!
Not
brilliant,
but
sometimes
he
says
a
few
little
words
to
me
in
French
on
the
pitch.”

Pepi
lacking
fizz

As
for
Augsburg,
Pepi
and
new
American
investor
David
Blitzer,
their
battle
against
relegation
—
and
indeed
their
quest
for
more
exposure
in
the
Bundesliga’s
US
market
—
will
be
decided
elsewhere.

Pepi
prompted
the
first
half-chance
of
the
game
when
almost
he
almost
pressurized
Jeremie
Frimpong
into
a
sixth-minute
own
goal.
But
he
was
otherwise
more
noticeable
for
giving
the
ball
away
and
earning
a
telling
off
from
referee
for
continuing
to
challenge
for
a
ball
after
the
whistle
had
blown.
He
saw
a
tame
shot
saved
easily
in
the
second
half
before
being
substituted
just
before
the
hour
mark.

Augsburg
got
back
into
the
game
at
2-1
when
Lukas
Hradecky
spilled
a
fierce
shot
from
Michael
Gregoritsch
and
Arne
Maier
tapped
home,
but
Leverkusen
quickly
upped
the
tempo
again.

Diaby
completed
his
hat-trick
and
Lucas
Alario
capped
off
the
rout
with
a
cheeky
flick
to
make
it
five
and
keep
Bayer
Leverkusen
on
course
for
the
Champions
League.

Source:

DW