Bundesliga wrap: Leverkusen edge closer to leaders

Bayer Leverkusen cut their deficit on leaders Borussia Dortmund to seven points with a 2-0 win over Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

Josef Heynckes’ side did the damage early at the Bay Arena, with Eren Derdiyok scoring in the 19th minute before a Christoph Metzelder own goal doubled the home side’s advantage eight minutes on.

The result piles the pressure on runaway leaders Dortmund, which dropped two points in their 1-1 draw with Mainz on Saturday.

Neither Stuttgart nor Wolfsburg did their survival prospects any help as the two relegation-threatened teams played out a 1-1 draw.

Wolves had taken the lead in the 40th minute through Brazilian Grafite, and the goal looked to have helped them secure a valuable three points, until an injury-time equaliser from Georg Niedermeier extended Stuttgart’s unbeaten league run to four games.

The draw meant Wolfsburg remain second-last, two points from Stuttgart in 15th.