Bayern lag behind leaders after Leverkusen draw

Defending champions Bayern Munich were held to a 1-1 draw at Leverkusen on Saturday evening to find themselves lagging 14 points behind leaders Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund.

With top side Dortmund earlier coming from behind to win 2-1 at Freiburg to pick up their 11th league win from 13 games, Bayern are leaving themselves a considerable gap to bridge with more than a third of the season now played.

Bayern are up to eighth in the league while Leverkusen are third.

“The point is ok, but we could have won,” said Bayern goal-scorer Mario Gomez.

“Dortmund are mentally strong and believe in themselves, but if they lose a few games, we need to be there.”

Gomez was left kicking himself after missing a late chance, while Bastian Schweinsteiger had a header disallowed for offside after just two minutes, but Gomez said his side had to be happy to leave Leverkusen with a point.

“It was bitter to draw, because I could have scored in the last few minutes,” he said.

“We conceded the equaliser just before half-time, Leverkusen were very strong in the second half, so we have to be happy with the point.”

Munich took the lead when national players Thomas Mueller, the top-scorer at the World Cup, Schweinsteiger and Gomez combined for a dream goal.

Mueller lobbed in a cross from the flank, Schweinsteiger, who led Germany in the goalless draw against Sweden in midweek, chipped Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler and striker Gomez volleyed into the net on 34 minutes.

It was Gomez’s fifth league goal in four games and his eighth in the Bundesliga this season.

But Leverkusen drew level when Bayern’s Croatia defender Danijel Pranjic brought down midfielder Stanley Sam on the edge of the penalty area in added time and Chile striker Arturo Vidal fired home the 47th minute spot kick.

French midfielder Franck Ribery came off the bench in the second-half, to loud jeers and boos around Munich’s Allianz Arena with 30 minutes remaining, but it was not enough.

Earlier, Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund came from behind to earn a 2-1 win at title rivals Freiburg to keep their seven-point lead over second-placed Mainz who ended their three-game losing streak.

The winner came on 78 minutes when Freiburg defender Mensur Mujdza slid the ball into his own net as Dortmund attacked in waves to seal their 11th win from 13 league games.

“For some reason we didn’t really play in the first half,” admitted Dortmund’s relieved coach Jurgen Klopp.

“We didn’t get ourselves into the positions we have wanted, but in the second-half, the side invested more and we deserved the win.

“We will take the three points, in the second half we played really well towards the end.”

Mainz are back up to second after they also fought back with a 3-2 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Schalke hammered fellow Champions League side Werder Bremen 4-0 as former Spain and Real Madrid iconic striker Raul scored a hat-trick.

Schalke host leaders Lyon in Group B on Wednesday, while Bremen travel to face Tottenham Hotspur the same day in Group A, but Bremen have now lost five of their last six games.

The win leaves Schalke 14th and Bremen 11th.

Hanover are fourth after their 3-2 win at Hamburg and Hoffenheim are fifth after they enjoyed a 4-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Mid-table Kaiserslautern enjoyed a 3-1 win at Nuremberg.