Bayer back in top four

Bayer Leverkusen pushed Nurnberg closer to relegation and returned to the top four with a convincing 4-1 win in Bavaria.

Bayer Leverkusen pushed Nurnberg closer to relegation to the 2. Bundesliga and returned to the top four with a convincing 4-1 win in Bavaria. Emir Spahic was on target twice for Sascha Lewandowski's men, who were rarely challenged by the Bundesliga strugglers, even if Marwin Plattenhardt brought them level in the 26th minute. Sebastian Boenisch and Roberto Hilbert wrapped up the win for Leverkusen, who climb back above Wolfsburg into fourth place, which would earn them a place in the Champions League next season. Leverkusen started as they meant to go on, taking the lead through Spahic's unstoppable volley from 20 yards in the 16th minute, Nurnberg goalkeeper Raphael Schafer unable to react as the ball flew through a pack of players. The hosts levelled 10 minutes later when Plattenhardt's free-kick passed everybody on its way into the far corner. The post came to Nurnberg's rescue when Omer Toprak's header bounced out to safety, but Nurnberg were riding their luck with Boenisch and Stefan Kiessling both going close. The visitors finally regained the lead early in the second half when Toprak laid the ball off for Boenisch to open his account for the season. There was no response from Nurnberg this time and it was Leverkusen who looked the more likely to add to their lead. They did just that when Heung-Min Son took the ball almost the full length of the field before squaring for Spahic, who after scoring his first goal of the season in the first half, netted his second in the 80th minute. Hilbert then compounded Nurnberg's woes with a fourth goal after Schafer made his first mistake of the match, fumbling Son's shot out to the former Stuttgart man.