Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick reacts in frustration throughout the goalless draw at Union Berlin (INA FASSBENDER)
Bayern Munich had been held to a 2-2 house draw with Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, failing to reap the benefits of Bayer Leverkusen’s slip-up earlier within the day.
With defending champions Leverkusen held to a scoreless draw at house with Union Berlin simply an hour earlier than kickoff, Bayern knew a win would transfer them additional forward.
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Dortmund took the lead by Maximilian Beier within the forty eighth minute however Bayern hit again with two objectives in 4 minutes, earlier than Waldemar Anton equalised for the guests with quarter-hour remaining.
“We have moved a step nearer to the championship and we have proven we will create loads of alternatives,” mentioned Bayern veteran Thomas Mueller, who will go away the membership after 25 years on the finish of the season.
“That ought to assist us within the Champions League on Wednesday,” added Muller after enjoying Dortmund for the forty fifth and final time.
Often the standout fixture on the German soccer calendar, the excitement across the match was comparatively muted.
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The guests got here to Munich sitting 9 spots and 27 factors behind within the desk, whereas each Bayern and Dortmund are within the midst of Champions League quarter-finals, having misplaced the primary legs to Inter Milan and Barcelona respectively.
Bayern, enduring an damage disaster with a number of first teamers lacking, had been camped out in Dortmund’s field for nearly your complete first half. Visiting goalkeeper Gregor Kobel wanted to snuff out nice probabilities for Harry Kane and Michael Olise.
Seemingly on the ropes at half-time, Dortmund opened the scoring three minutes into the second interval, Beier heading between Bayern goalie Jonas Urbig’s legs to complete off a length-of-the-field counter.
With Dortmund within the ascendancy and probing for a second, Kompany introduced on Serge Gnabry and the transfer labored a deal with.
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The previous Arsenal ahead created the equaliser for former Dortmund midfielder Raphael Guerreiro on the 65-minute mark after which scored a objective of his personal 4 minutes later, slaloming by the visiting defence earlier than hammering house.
Dortmund hit again to stage issues up quarter-hour from time when Anton knocked in a rebound from a Serhou Guirassy shot.
Regardless of the draw, Bayern stay heavy favourites to carry the Bundesliga title. The Bavarians are six factors forward with 5 video games remaining this season.
Nursing an ongoing Achilles damage, Bayern centre-back Kim Min-jae was subbed off within the second half, leaving the Germans with only one match central defender.
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– Leverkusen held at house –
Regardless of welcoming again star midfielder Florian Wirtz from a foot damage, Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen lacked fluency in assault, carving out few clear-cut alternatives in a 0-0 house draw with Union Berlin.
Union had the ball within the internet after 14 minutes when Andrej Ilic headed in a rebound after a save from Lukas Hradecky, however the Serbian was flagged for offside.
Wirtz got here on after 57 minutes and regardless of giving his facet an preliminary increase, was unable to interrupt down Union’s defence.
Granit Xhaka had a free-kick from the sting of the field in stoppage time however blasted his shot effectively over the bar.
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“We’re dropping too many factors at house,” Leverkusen captain Hradecky mentioned, including “mathematically there is a small probability (of defending the title), however the likelihood has decreased.”
The draw continues a poor April for final season’s unbeaten home double winners, who had been eradicated from the German Cup semi-finals by third division Arminia Bielefeld.
The draw took Union to 34 factors, 12 away from the relegation spots with 5 video games remaining.
The Berliners have taken 11 factors from an unbeaten five-game run towards Leverkusen, Bayern, Eintracht Frankfurt, Freiburg and Wolfsburg.
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Borussia Moenchengladbach’s hopes of returning to the Champions League took successful with a 2-1 house loss to Freiburg.
Freiburg snatched all three factors when Johan Manzambi scored a ninetieth minute header, permitting the guests to leapfrog their opponents into sixth.
Augsburg continued their robust 2025 with a 2-1 win at lowly Bochum, climbing previous Dortmund into eighth. Augsburg have solely misplaced one in every of their previous 13 video games.
Elsewhere, Hoffenheim took a step in direction of beating the drop with a 2-0 house win over Champions League hopefuls Mainz, with Andrej Kramaric scoring a brace.
St Pauli additionally boosted their hopes of top-division soccer subsequent season with a 2-1 win over fellow promoted facet Holstein Kiel.
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