MUNICH, Germany: Borussia Dortmund failed to take advantage of Bayern Munich’s 1-1 home draw against Hoffenheim on Saturday, blowing a two-goal lead against 10-man Stuttgart before conceding a last-gasp equalizer.Bundesliga leaders Bayern led through a first-half goal from Benjamin Pavard, but had to settle for a point as Hoffenheim equalized in the second half through an Andrej Kramaric free-kick.Dortmund were 2-0 ahead in Stuttgart when Konstantinos Mavropanos received a second yellow card, but the hosts hauled themselves level in a dramatic finish.Gio Reyna fired Dortmund back in front three minutes into injury time only for Stuttgart to snatch a 3-3 draw courtesy of Silas, who scored with virtually the last kick of the game.The results left Bayern still two points clear of Dortmund at the top with six games to play.Bayern came into their match after a tumultuous week, forward Leroy Sane sporting a visible mark on his upper lip after a confrontation with Sadio Mane, which saw the latter suspended.With Mane out and striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting missing due to a knee complaint, Bayern defender Pavard gave his side an early lead, tapping in from close range after 17 minutes.With Bayern in cruise control, coach Thomas Tuchel took off Sane, Leon Goretzka and Kingsley Coman, with Wednesday’s return leg against Manchester City in mind.Hoffenheim took the initiative and equalized after 71 minutes, Kramaric curling a perfect free-kick from well outside the box and past Yann Sommer.Pavard looked to have scored a second just two minutes later to regain the lead for the home side, but the goal was disallowed for offside.In Stuttgart, Dortmund’s Sebastien Haller opened the scoring midway through the first half, hammering in via the underside on the crossbar from a Donyell Malen cross.Malen doubled the visitors’ lead minutes later, gliding a low shot into the corner of the net, his fourth consecutive game with a goal.Dortmund’s speedy forward continued to trouble Stuttgart and Mavropanos was sent off late in the first half, picking up a second booking for a foul on Karim Adeyemi.Despite being a man down, Stuttgart continued to push forward, Serhou Guirassy having a goal chalked off for offside early in the second half.Tanguy Coulibaly pulled one back for Stuttgart with 12 minutes to go against an increasingly nervous-looking Dortmund.Stuttgart scored a second minutes later when Josha Vagnoman booted the ball home in a crowded penalty area to level the scores.The drama wasn’t over and Dortmund thought Reyna had won them the game, but Silas popped up with a 97th-minute equalizer to drag Stuttgart back out of the bottom two.RB Leipzig kept their quest for Champions League football on track, coming from behind to beat Augsburg 3-2 at home, leapfrogging Union Berlin into third.Augsburg hit the lead just five minutes in through Arne Maier, but Leipzig’s Kevin Kampl equalized almost immediately.Former Chelsea striker Timo Werner scored two goals in three minutes late in the first half to give the home side a 3-1 lead.Elsewhere, Mainz drew 1-1 away at Cologne. Mainz took an early lead through Ludovic Ajorque, the French striker scoring his fourth goal in five league games.Cologne hit back early in the second half through Dejan Ljubicic, picking up a valuable point.In Saturday’s late game, Eintracht Frankfurt host Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Saturday, December 28, 2024