Bayern Munich fail to make the most of Bayer Leverkusen slip with 2-2 Borussia Dortmund draw
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Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (left) in action with Borussia Dortmund's Emre Can during the 2-2 Bundesliga draw at the Allianz Arena on April 12.
PHOTO: REUTERS
MUNICH – Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich were held to a 2-2 home draw with Borussia Dortmund on April 12, failing to take advantage of Bayer Leverkusen’s slip-up earlier in the day.
After defending champions Leverkusen drew 0-0 with Union Berlin at home, Bayern knew a win would have moved them eight points clear with five games to play.
Dortmund took the lead through Maximilian Beier in the 48th minute but Bayern hit back with two goals in four minutes, before Waldemar Anton equalised for the visitors with 15 minutes remaining.
“We’ve moved a step closer to the championship and we’ve shown we can create plenty of opportunities,” said Bayern veteran Thomas Muller, who will leave the club at the end of the season after 25 years.
“That should help us in the Champions League,” he added of the April 16 quarter-final second leg at Inter Milan, with Bayern facing a 2-1 first-leg deficit.
“(We need) to be more clinical,” said Harry Kane. “We’ll have opportunities, it’s about taking them in the right moments.”
Usually the standout fixture on the German football calendar, the buzz around the Klassiker match was comparatively muted.
The visitors, who trail Barcelona 4-0 in their Champions League quarter-final, arrived in Munich sitting nine spots and 27 points behind in the table.
Bayern, enduring an injury crisis, were camped out near Dortmund’s box for almost the entire first half.
Visiting goalkeeper Gregor Kobel needed to snuff out big chances for Kane and Michael Olise.
Seemingly on the ropes at half-time, Dortmund opened the scoring three minutes into the second period, Beier heading between Bayern goalkeeper Jonas Urbig’s legs to finish off a counter-attack.
With Dortmund in the ascendancy and probing for a second, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany brought on Serge Gnabry and the move worked a treat.
The former Arsenal winger created the equaliser for former Dortmund midfielder Raphael Guerreiro on 65 minutes and then scored a goal of his own four minutes later, jinking through the visiting defence before hammering home.
Dortmund hit back to level again when Anton knocked in a rebound from a Serhou Guirassy shot.
Bayern remain six points ahead of Leverkusen and are closing in on regaining the title.
Nursing an ongoing Achilles injury, Bayern centre-back Kim Min-jae was substituted in the second half, leaving the Bavarian side with just one fit central defender.
Looking ahead to their own midweek Champions League rescue mission against Barcelona, Dortmund coach Niko Kovac said: "We have a tough game on Tuesday. We know the situation. We want to win that game.
“(In the Bundesliga) I hope to continue this run (with two wins and a draw from the last three matches),” he said. “We still have points to earn.” AFP, REUTERS
