Lucas Vázquez (Curtis, 1991) has made a comeback through the front door. After months of ostracism following an untimely injury, the Spanish international returned to Kasper Hjulmand's starting XI, and he couldn't have done it in a more decisive way: netting the winning goal against Werder Bremen (1-0).

It had been a long time since the '21' felt the heat of a Bundesliga start. His last league start dated back to October 4, 2025, against Union Berlin. Since then, a void. However, after getting back into rhythm in the Champions League against Olympiacos, Hjulmand decided to bet on the veteran ex-Madridista in a 100% Spanish right flank alongside Aleix García and Alejandro Grimaldo.

A Goal for the Personal History Books

The defining moment arrived in the 37th minute. Lucas received the ball from Quansah hugging the touchline—his natural habitat. With the clinical vision of a man who has played 402 elite matches, he found Maza at the edge of the box, who returned a pinpoint wall-pass. In the one-on-one, Vázquez was clinical, beating Backhaus with a surgical cross-shot.

This goal is far from ordinary. It is his first in a Bayer Leverkusen shirt and shatters an astonishing statistic: to find a goal scored by Lucas away from the Santiago Bernabéu, you have to travel back in time to April 17, 2015, during his spell at Espanyol against Levante. Exactly 3,935 days have passed since then.

Leverkusen Sets Its Sights on Europe

With this victory, the 'Factory Squad' secures its place in sixth position with 32 points. Although Bayern’s lead remains light-years away (18 points), the recovery of Lucas Vázquez provides Hjulmand with a high-caliber asset for the season’s home stretch. The 'utility man' from Curtis is back, and Germany now knows exactly what he is capable of.

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