BERLIN (AP) — Xabi Alonso endured another frustrating game as Bayer Leverkusen coach in the Bundesliga on Saturday as his team slumped to a 5-1 loss at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Coming after Porto’s 3-0 win in the Champions League on Wednesday, Leverkusen’s second loss from Alonso’s three games in charge end the former Spain star’s honeymoon period as coach and leaves his team mired in a relegation battle.
Leverkusen occupied the relegation playoff place after slumping to its sixth defeat from 10 rounds played so far.
Alonso led Leverkusen to a 4-0 rout of promoted Schalke in his debut last week but found Frankfurt a different proposition to a team that is playing its first season back in the Bundesliga after demotion the season before.
Piero Hincapié emerged as the tragic figure for Leverkusen, scoring the team’s goal before he was sent off.
Daichi Kamada’s penalty just before the interval was enough for Frankfurt’s 1-0 halftime lead. The visitors felt hard done by as Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukáš Hrádecký was penalized for coming off his line when he saved Randal Kolo Muani’s initial penalty, giving Frankfurt another chance from the spot which Kamada converted.
Hincapié equalized with a flying header in the 56th but that was as good as it got for Levekusen — and the Ecuador defender, who was involved in all three of the next goals.
Hincapié couldn’t stop Kolo Muani from restoring Frankfurt’s lead two minutes later, then could only watch as Jesper Lindström made it 3-1 with a brilliant chip over Hrádecký in the 65th.
Hincapié conceded a penalty and was sent off with his second yellow card in the 72nd, before Kamada got his second goal from the spot.
Lucas Alario wrapped up the scoring in the 86th.
Stuttgart, the last team to win this season, finally enjoyed a victory in its first game since firing coach Pellegrino Matarazzo with Silas Katompa Mvumpa scoring twice in a 4-1 win over last-place Bochum.
Wolfsburg drew with Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-2 and Mainz enjoyed a 2-0 win at promoted Werder Bremen.
Leipzig was to host Hertha Berlin later.
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