Leverkusen, Wolfsburg secure wins in Bundesliga

Bayer Leverkusen moved to second place after beating Mainz 2-0, while Wolfsburg recorded a 1-0 win over Hannover to complete the 20th round of the Bundesliga football action.

The "Werkself" recaptured the second position in the standings, as goals from Leon Bailey and Wendell were enough to move 2-0 past struggling Mainz on Sunday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Heiko Herrlich's men controlled possession in the first half, but the hosts were unable to break the deadlock within half time as Mainz staged a well-positioned defence.

After the restart, Leverkusen's possession paid off as Leon Bailey had all the time and space needed to dance through Mainz' defence and to hammer an unstoppable effort into the far post corner three minutes into the second half.

Mainz failed to gain a foothold in the game offensively hence the hosts continued to dominate and sealed the deal with 68 minutes played when Wendell converted a hand ball penalty from the spot to make it 2-0 on the scoreboard.

"It is a well-deserved win. Mainz defended very well in the first half. After the break we improved our game," Leverkusen head coach Heiko Herrlich said.

With their second win in a row, Bayer Leverkusen climbed back to second place while Mainz remain in the 15th place and in striking distance of the relegation zone.

--IANS

sam/bg