In Augsburg, Germany, Bayer Leverkusen’s pursuit of consecutive Bundesliga titles hit a stumbling block with a 1-1 draw against St. Pauli on Sunday. Patrik Schick initially gave Leverkusen the lead in the first half, but Carlo Boukhalfa’s equalizer in the 78th minute dampened Leverkusen’s aspirations. Now trailing Bayern Munich by eight points with only four rounds left, Leverkusen’s title hopes appear dim. Bayern Munich secured a 4-0 victory over Heidenheim on Saturday and could potentially clinch the title in their upcoming match against Mainz, should Leverkusen falter against Augsburg.
Leverkusen made headlines last season when they completed an undefeated Bundesliga campaign to secure their inaugural league title, along with an unbeaten run to capture the German Cup. As their current season progresses, the team is striving to recapture that previous success.
In another Bundesliga matchup, Borussia Dortmund overcame their recent Champions League setback with a determined 3-2 win against Borussia Moenchengladbach. The Dortmund squad exhibited remarkable resilience, netting three goals in nine minutes just before halftime to take control of the match. Serhou Guirassy, fresh off a hat trick against Barcelona, brought Dortmund level at 1-1 shortly after Ko Itakura opened for Moenchengladbach. Felix Nmecha and Daniel Svensson followed with successive goals to strengthen Dortmund’s lead. Kevin Stoger’s penalty offered a glimmer of hope for Moenchengladbach, but it wasn’t enough to sway the outcome.
Meanwhile, Carney Chukwuemeka, on loan from Chelsea, played a vital part in constructing all three of Dortmund’s goals, showcasing his skill despite missing the Barcelona clash due to injury.
Elsewhere, a dramatic 0-0 draw between Augsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt left both sides vying for European qualification. Augsburg’s Cédric Zesiger heroically denied Frankfurt’s Ansgar Knauff an apparent match-winning goal with a last-moment clearance. Though Phillip Tietz nearly secured a late triumph for Augsburg, Frankfurt’s keeper, Kevin Trapp, maintained vigilance to keep it level. Frankfurt remains third in the standings but has seen a dip in form since Omar Marmoush transferred to Manchester City. In contrast, Augsburg is positioned 10th, locked in a compelling mid-table tussle for European competition spots.