Hyypiä on scoresheet as Bayer Leverkusen power on in Bundesliga

It seems only a few weeks ago that Sami Hyypiä was tearfully saying his farewells at Anfield after ten years' loyal service with Liverpool FC, but the veteran central defender and Finland captain has been busy in the interim, and any thoughts that he might be taking it easy in the sunset of his playing career have been firmly scotched by the No.4's performances this season in another red shirt, that of Bayer Leverkusen.
      Hyypiä has been on the starting list of coach Jupp Heynckes every match this term in the German Bundesliga, and he has brought to the Leverkusen defensive unit the same sort of lean and mean efficiency that he managed in his Liverpool heyday.
     
The Bayer Leverkusen defence has conceded just fifteen goals in their 19 matches so far this campaign, and they are the only unbeaten side in the league, with 41 points.
      They are also riding at the top of the table, two points clear of Bayern Munich, and have every chance of securing a first-ever Bundesliga title.
     
Hyypiä contributed at both ends of the park in Bayer's 3-0 demolition of Hoffenheim on Sunday, as he scored Leverkusen's opening goal, his first in the German league, and calmly snuffed out what little attacking threat the home team offered.
      Hyypiä is actually no stranger to scoring, as he was a regular weapon for Liverpool at set pieces like free-kicks or corners.
      His 11th-minute strike on Sunday was typical, as he slipped his marker and got on the end of a free-kick at the far post to drill the ball underneath the Hoffenheim goalkeeper.
     
Hyypiä's German success after his free transfer from Liverpool has not gone unnoticed.
      He has been consistently at or near the top of the rankings, and was unanimously voted Best Bundesliga Defender for Winter 2009 by the magazine Kicker - not bad going for a 36-year-old who could not get a regular game for Liverpool, who have, it must be said, shipped considerably more than 15 goals this season.
      The way in which Hyypiä's team-mates celebrated his maiden goal in a Bayer shirt also suggests he is as popular off the field as he is useful on it.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Sami Hyypiä soon finds his feet in the German Bundesliga (29.9.2009)
  Loyal Liverpool servant Hyypiä chooses Germany and Bayer Leverkusen (5.5.2009)

See also:
  Emotional Anfield farewell for Sami Hyypiä, captaining Liverpool for one last cameo appearance (25.5.2009)

Links:
  Sami Hyypiä (Wikipedia)
  Bayer Leverkusen
  Bundesliga