Bundesliga: Havertz nets double as Leverkusen thrashes Bremen

The result leaves Leverkusen fifth on 50 points from 26 games, one behind fourth-placed RB Leipzig and eight adrift of leader Bayern Munich. Bremen, which suffered a record-extending seventh straight home defeat, stays 17th on 18 points from 25 matches.

With no spectators present in the stadium as part of the COVID-19 precautions, the game descended into a lull before a frantic five-minute spell produced three goals midway through the first half. Havertz fired Leverkusen ahead in the 28th minute when he rose above his marker at the far post and headed past keeper Jiri Pavlenka.

Theodor Gebre Selassie levelled two minutes later with a cheeky back-heel from six metres after Leonardo Bittencourt swung in a corner. But, more slack defending by Bremen allowed the visitor to nose ahead again in the 33rd minute. Havertz was left completely unmarked to head home from eight metres after Demirbay floated in an inch-perfect free-kick.

Bremen fell apart in the second half as the away side carved it open almost at will. Defender Weiser made it 3-1 in the 61st minute when he powered in a close-range header, with Demirbay sealing the rout. Substitute Karim Bellarabi waltzed his way through a static home defence before releasing Demirbay, who beat Pavlenka with a dinked finish.

Cristiano Ronaldo rejoined Serie A champion Juventus for training on Tuesday after an absence of 72 days that included the last two weeks in quarantine. The 35-year-old was filmed arriving at the Turin club’s Continassa training ground in a black car. He then underwent a medical and joined coach Maurizio Sarri and his teammates. Ronaldo flew back to his native Madeira after Juventus beat Inter Milan 2-0 behind closed doors on March 8, its final game before Serie A was suspended because of the coronavirus. He returned to Turin in a private jet earlier this month, but then had to spend two weeks at home under Italy’s quarantine rules.