Maza and Kofane combine in Leverkusen victory

Christian Kofane scored his first Bundesliga goal of 2026 on Wednesday evening from an assist by Algeria national team starlet Ibrahim Maza as Bayer Leverkusen edged HSV by a 1-0 score.

Maza showed his skill and footwork to evade defenders on the edge of the penalty area before chipping a clever pass for Kofane to smash in the only goal of the match in the 71st minute. The result put an end to a three-match winless streak for the visitors.

Facing an opponent that can be difficult to beat at home, Die Werkself did well to establish control early and HSV failed to manage a shot on Bayer goalkeeper Janis Blaswich in the opening 45 minutes.

An improved effort from the hosts after halftime left the result up for grabs and it was Maza’s moment of ingenuity that provided the three points. After a difficult start to the new year with his club, Kofane rewarded coach Kasper Hjulmand’s decision to start the Cameroonian with an excellent finish.

 

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The result leaves Bayer Leverkusen in 6th place and in reach of a top-3 position, with only three points separating them from third place Hoffenheim. A quick turnaround will see them travel to face Freiburg in their next match on Saturday.