- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 427,425
- Reaction score
- 44
You must be registered for see images attach
St. Pauli's Connor Metcalfe (R) and Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz battle for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC St. Pauli and Bayer Leverkusen at the Millerntor Stadium. Christian Charisius/dpa
Bayern Munich are on the brink of reclaiming the Bundesliga title after rivals Bayer Leverkusen were held 1-1 at lowly St Pauli on Sunday, while Borussia Dortmund got another big win in their bid for European football.
Patrik Schick headed title holders Leverkusen ahead in the 36th minute in Hamburg but Carlo Boukhalfa poked a 78th-minute equalizer.
The draw saw Leverkusen slip eight points behind Bayern who won 4-0 at Heidenheim on Saturday. St Pauli are all but safe eight points above the danger zone.
Bayern can now clinch a 34th national title and 33rd in the Bundesliga era with three games to spare on Saturday, if they win against Mainz and Leverkusen fail to beat Augsburg.
"We must be honest, the chance is gone," Schick told streaming portal DAZN. "Last season was unbelievable. We are still looking ahead but it hurts.
"We lost another two points. The performance was not good enough again. It is the end of the season, we have played many games and did not have enough energy."
Dortmund meanwhile beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-2 with three goals late in the first half for another victory over a rival for a place in Europe.
With 10 points from their last four games, Dortmund rose to seventh, two points behind Mainz in sixth which is likely the cut off. A top four finish may also still be possible for Dortmund, with RB Leipzig in fourth four points ahead.
Third placed Eintracht Frankfurt were held 0-0 in Augsburg and failed to get a decisive advantage over their rivals for a top four finish.
Leverkusen struggle again
Leverkusen won the title unbeaten last season but have been running out of steam lately, going out in the Champions League against Bayern, in the German Cup against third division Arminia Bielefeld, and also dropping too many points in the Bundesliga where they lost at home against Werder Breemen and were held 0-0 by Union Berlin.
Talsman Florian Wirtz returned into the starting 11 from an ankle injury, and Schick headed them ahead in the 36th off Alejandro Grimaldo.
But St Pauli fought bravely after the break, had a 74th-minute goal from Morgan Guilavogui disallowed for handball but there was nothing wrong when Boukhalfa netted after goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky failed to hold on to a sharp free-kick from Danel Sinani.
"It wasn't enough. We didn't create enough chances and wouldn't have derserved to win. St Pauli did a good job," Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah said.
Dortmund continue recovery
Five days after being eliminated from the Champions League by Barcelona, Dortmund were not deterred on Sunday when Gladbach drew first blood in the 24th when Ko Itakura opened the scoring after a one-two with Kevin Stöger.
Dortmund's Maximilian Beier limped off injured but his replacement Carney Chukwuemeka helped them turn matters around within eight minutes late in the half.
Serhou Guirassy fired the equalizer in the 41st off Pascal Gross' low cross from the left after Chukwuemeka, and felix Nmecha made it 2-1 off Yan Couto.
Daniel Svensson's looping header for his maiden Bundesliga goal deep into stoppage time after Jonas Omlin had saved a first effort from Guirassy, again set up by Chukwuemeka, made it 3-1.
Dortmund had to sweat it out when Stöger converted from the spot after Tim Kleindinest was tripped by Nmecha but Gladbach did not manage a serious chance to salvage a point and slipped behind Dortmund into ninth.
"The victory is very very good, given the other results," Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl said, referring to draws for Leipzig, Mainz, Augsburg and Stuttgart.
"We have had other periods in the season where we may have drawn such a game in the end. Compliments to the team how it fought back."
Augsburg stalemate
In Augsburg, Frankfurt played a modest first half three days after their painful Europa League exit against Tottenham Hotspur but raised their game after the break.
Rasmus Kristensen hit the post in the 54th, and Augsburg's Cédric Zesiger denied the lively substitute Ansgar Knauff with a superb sliding block in the 69th.
The hosts also hit the post, from Mergim Berisha in the 67th.
You must be registered for see images attach
Leverkusen's Patrik Schick (C) celebrates scoring his side's first goal with teammates during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC St. Pauli and Bayer Leverkusen at the Millerntor Stadium. Christian Charisius/dpa
You must be registered for see images attach
Leverkusen's Patrik Schick (C) celebrates scoring his side's first goal with teammates during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC St. Pauli and Bayer Leverkusen at the Millerntor Stadium. Christian Charisius/dpa
You must be registered for see images attach
St. Pauli's Daniel Sinani (L) and Leverkusen's Exequiel Palacios and Jonathan Tah (R) battle for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC St. Pauli and Bayer Leverkusen at the Millerntor Stadium. Christian Charisius/dpa
Continue reading...
