Bayer Leverkusen put in a more impressive display than their previous showing against Bayern Munich as they held the league leaders to an entertaining 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena.
In a game filled with chances for both sides, the visitors might well have walked away from the lions’ den with all three points had they taken one of their guilt-edged, golden opportunities as Gerardo Seonane’s side grew in confidence.
However, it will be two points dropped for Bayern as well, as it was their own shaky defensive display that cost Sven Ulreich his clean sheet: Thomas Muller’s bizarre own goal cancelled out Niklas Sule’s opener with nine minues of the first half to go.
The opening goal of the game came from a melee: a Joshua Kimmich corner wasn’t dealt with by Lukas Hradecky nor Jonathan Tah, and the ball ricocheted nicely for the departing Sule, who will play for Borussia Dortmund next season when his contract expires.
A Kerem Demirbay delivery was enough to outfox Ulreich and Muller, whose miscommunication meant that the veteran attacking midfielder slid in under no pressure to divert the cross beyond his own goalkeeper and give the visitors an equaliser against the run of play.
That was the switch that brought their young, electric front three to life, as Florian Wirtz, Amine Adli and Moussa Diaby looked revitalised, creating glorious opportunities that had their foundations built off Bayern mistakes.
Dayot Upamecano’s loose backpass was intercepted by Adli who struck the post after rounding the onrushing Ulreich, and he spurned another chance as he raced through on goal, passing wide of the far post with mere seconds of the first half to go.
Wirtz had a chance at the near post on 56 minutes as Adli beat Sule in the physical battle, but the 18-year old poked into the side netting as Bayern’s defence looked vulnerable yet again, not helped by the gaps in their midfield and the ultra-attacking mentality of Julian Nagelsmann.
A point is more a respectable result for the visitors, and it halts Bayern’s momentum in the title race for the moment.
