Bayer Leverkusen Held to Goalless Draw as Bayern Munich Cuts the Gap

Bayer Leverkusen were held to a goalless draw at home against Borussia Moenchengladbach in a Bundesliga clash on Saturday, leading to their lead over injury-hit Bayern Munich being cut to two points. Leverkusen, the only undefeated team in the league, had started the day with a four-point advantage, but Bayern’s 3-2 victory over Augsburg earlier in the day put them under pressure. Despite dominating possession with 75% of the ball, Leverkusen failed to find the back of the net. Jeremie Frimpong had the game’s biggest chances but couldn’t convert them into goals. Star striker Victor Boniface was sorely missed, as his 10 goals in 16 league games have been instrumental in Leverkusen’s title pursuit.

Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso acknowledged Moenchengladbach’s compact and energetic display. Speaking to Sky Sport Germany, Alonso said, “Gladbach were very compact. They had great morale and energy today. We had the feeling that we could score but we didn’t. We have to accept the point.” The two teams will face each other again on 10 February in a crucial match-up.

Bavarian giants Bayern Munich closed in on Leverkusen by sealing a valuable victory against Augsburg. Bayern had recently bounced back from a surprise defeat to Werder Bremen with a 1-0 win over Union Berlin. In the absence of key players, including Joshua Kimmich, Eric Dier made his first start, while Alphonso Davies returned to the starting lineup. The breakthrough for Bayern came in the 23rd minute when 19-year-old Aleksandar Pavlovic found the net after a corner was poorly cleared. Davies extended the lead just before halftime with a powerful strike from distance. Augsburg briefly lifted the mood with Ermedin Demirovic’s glancing header in the second half, but Harry Kane‘s tap-in sealed the victory for Bayern. Manuel Neuer saved a late penalty but conceded another, as Augsburg scored in stoppage time. However, it was too late for a comeback.

The win was marred by a potential injury to French winger Kingsley Coman, leaving Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel concerned. Speaking to Sky, Tuchel said, “It’s a difficult injury. He was in a lot of pain and had no chance to continue. The medical team will assess his injury tomorrow. We can’t speculate, but he’s in extreme pain.”

Meanwhile, in another significant match at the top, Stuttgart thrashed RB Leipzig 5-2 with Deniz Undav scoring a remarkable hat-trick. This victory keeps Stuttgart’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League alive. In tomorrow’s game, Borussia Dortmund will have the opportunity to overtake Leipzig and enter the top four if they secure a win against Bochum.