BERLIN (AP) — Even without coach Xabi Alonso on the touchline Bayer Leverkusen remained unbeatable Sunday as it stretched its record run without defeat to 48 games in a 5-1 rout of Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.
Alonso was suspended for an accumulation of yellow cards, but he watched from the stands as his Bundesliga champions showed no tiredness from Thursday’s 2-0 win at Roma in the first leg of the Europa League semifinals.
Alonso rotated the team with just Edmond Tapsoba, Robert Andrich and Granit Xhaka keeping their places from the win in Rome. Brazilian winger Arthur made his first start after recovering from a serious thigh injury.
Xhaka fired the visitors in front in the 12th minute with a brilliant strike from distance.
Hugo Ekitiké equalized with a header inside the far post from a deep cross. It was the third consecutive game in which the French forward scored.