European football: Bayer Leverkusen crush Frankfurt to extend unbeaten run

The Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen extended their unbeaten streak as they secured a 5-1 away victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

Leverkusen’s record unbeaten run now extends to 48 matches across all competitions.

The visitors broke the deadlock through Granit Xhaka’s bending strike from outside the box after 12 minutes, while Frankfurt equalised just after the half-hour via Hugo Ekitike’s perfectly timed header.

Leverkusen regained the lead just before half-time thanks to Patrick Schick’s towering header, and Exequiel Palacios added their third goal in the 58th minute from the penalty spot after Niels Nkounkou had pulled Nathan Tella’s shirt. Jeremie Frimpong added a fourth for the visitors in the 77th minute, tapping home from close range, and Victor Boniface made it five from another penalty.

PSV Eindhoven sealed their first Eredivisie title in six years, and the 25th Dutch league crown in their history, by beating Sparta Rotterdam 4-2.

The Sparta midfielder Metinho threatened to spoil the party atmosphere in Eindhoven when he scored in the eighth minute, but a Saïd Bakari own goal levelled the scores and Johan Bakayoko put PSV in front in the 26th minute. Another own goal, this time by the PSV defender Olivier Boscagli, put Sparta back on level terms before half-time.

Boscagli made amends by volleying home a delicately chipped Joey Veerman free-kick to put the hosts 3-2 ahead, and the defender Jordan Teze put the result and PSV’s championship beyond doubt when he made it 4-2 in the 78th minute. Peter Bosz’s dominant side have only lost one league game all season, and are 12 points clear of Feyenoord, who have three games left to play.

“We scored the most goals, conceded the fewest goals and created the most chances. We have shown that we are the best in the Eredivisie, very simple,” Teze told the Dutch TV station NOS.