Kasper Hjulmand hailed Patrik Schick's leadership qualities after the striker's hat-trick against RB Leipzig pushed Bayer Leverkusen ever closer to Champions League qualification.

Leverkusen maintained their grip on fourth place in the Bundesliga with a dominant victory over third-placed Leipzig at the BayArena on Saturday.

Schick scored his fifth Bundesliga hat-trick – and his first since netting four times against Freiburg in December 2024 – and was joined on the scoresheet by Nathan Tella.

The Czechia international has scored nine goals in his last six Bundesliga matches – more than any other player in Europe's top five leagues since March 20.

"He looks very fresh and alert," Hjulmand said of his star striker, speaking to the club's website.

"His current form is impressive, and he's also very important for the team as a leader on the pitch and in the dressing room."

Leverkusen were utterly dominant going forward, as their 23 shots (eight of which were on target) added up to 4.42 expected goals (xG). 

That is their second-highest tally in a Bundesliga match this season, having racked up 4.52 xG in a 6-3 win over Wolfsburg last month.

Prior to that, they had not accumulated 4 or more xG in a league game since their 2023-24 title-winning campaign under Xabi Alonso.

"I need to give a big compliment to our stadium and our vocal fans. That was fantastic energy, and we needed it today," Hjulmand said. 

"It was one of the best performances of the season. We had passion, but were also well-structured, with direct passing and strong counter-pressing." 

With two games remaining, Leverkusen are level on points with both Stuttgart and Hoffenheim, who sit fifth and sixth, respectively, after playing out a 3-3 draw on Saturday.

Leverkusen's goal difference is only marginally better than Stuttgart's, and they will face each other in a huge game at the MHPArena next week. 

"It was a great game from all of us. You could see how much we wanted this win and how much we want to get into the Champions League as a team," forward Ibrahim Maza said.

"We have to win three times, and we took the first step today. We can't rest now; we have to perform like we did today in Stuttgart."