Lucas Vazquez scores to double Bayer Leverkusen’s lead

Lucas Vázquez, the 35-year-old who spent a decade patrolling Real Madrid’s right flank, found the back of the net for Bayer Leverkusen in their Bundesliga clash, marking his first goal in the German top flight since joining the club on a free transfer last summer. The goal came in the 37th minute and proved decisive as Leverkusen secured a 1-0 victory over Werder Bremen at the BayArena on January 24, snapping a three-game losing streak. A drought measured in thousands of days Vázquez’s strike wasn’t just his first Bundesliga goal. It was his first goal scored away from Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu in 3,935 days. That’s roughly 10 years and 9 months, dating back to 2015, when he last managed the feat outside of his former home ground. The Spaniard joined Leverkusen on August 26, 2025, signing a contract through 2027 after his long tenure at the Bernabéu came to an end. Breaking the 2026 hex Leverkusen had entered the new calendar year in rough shape, dropping three consecutive matches. Matchday 19 against Bremen was shaping up as a must-win, even by January standards. Coach Kasper Hjulmand had relied on Vázquez consistently across Bundesliga and European competition throughout th...