Leverkusen remain unbeaten with the latest blow at Dortmund

DORTMUND:

Josip Stanisic scored in the seventh minute of stoppage time as Bayer Leverkusen extended their unbeaten run to 45 matches in all competitions with a 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.

Crowned Bundesliga champions for the first time last week, Leverkusen looked set to snap their unbeaten run when Dortmund’s Niclas Fuellkrug scored with nine minutes remaining.

As they have done so often this season, however, Leverkusen scored late on, Stanisic’s goal coming from a corner deep into added time.

It was Leverkusen’s 14th goal after the 90th minute this season and kept alive their dreams of becoming the first team to go through a Bundesliga season unbeaten.

“It’s not easy to play when you’re already a champion, but we’ve challenged ourselves to go unbeaten this season and that’s our goal,” Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka told DAZN.

Leverkusen enjoyed another superb week after securing the German title by hosting West Ham to reach the Europa League semi-finals.

“I feel good — almost as good as last week,” Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said.

“To score like that at the end was very emotional and to celebrate in front of our fans. Not to lose… it’s nice.”

Both teams looked heavy from their European encounters in midweek, with Dortmund reaching the Champions League semi-finals with a thrilling win over Atletico Madrid.

Neither team managed to create a clear-cut chance in the first half, with Alex Grimaldo for Leverkusen and the home side’s Marcel Sabitzer going close.

With less than 10 minutes remaining, Fuellkrug put Dortmund on course to do what no other team has managed to do this season.

Sabitzer sent a cross across the face of the goal to Fuelkrug, who volleyed past Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hratecki and into the back of the net.

Alonso brought on Victor Boniface to find a goal late on and the Nigerian was shown a red card for his part in a challenge, which was overturned by VAR.

Late in stoppage time, Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel saved a Grimaldo foul, heading in a corner from Bayern Munich loanee Stanisic.

The draw leaves Dortmund two points behind fourth-placed RB Leipzig in the race for the final guaranteed Champions League spot, although the German sides’ European exploits look set to trap at least a fifth-place finish for the Bundesliga.

Dortmund travel to Leipzig next week and will be without Ian Maachen and captain Emre Can, who picked up yellow cards, due to suspension.

In Sunday’s final game, Mainz drew 1-1 at Freiburg to climb out of the relegation places for the first time since August.

Jonathan Burkardt leveled things up for the visitors after Michael Gregoritsch’s early strike sent Mainz into 15th safety and pushed Bochum into the relegation play offs.

Werder Bremen took a major step towards top-flight survival as Marvin Dax scored a brace in a 2-1 home win over Stuttgart.

The win, Bremen’s first since mid-February, lifts Ole Werner’s side to 34 points, eight clear of a relegation play-off spot and above a group of teams living perilously close to the drop.

For the third-placed visitors, who have secured at least a Europa League spot for next season, the defeat was their first since January.

“It was hard work today, for sure,” Ducksch told DAZN. “I have to give the guys a huge compliment.”

Stuttgart winger Jamie Leweling brought down Felix Agu in the box in the 27th minute and the referee pointed to the spot.

Ducks stepped up and slotted the ball past the outstretched arm of goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel.

Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness made two changes at the interval, but Bremen started the second half better, Ducksch completing a complex passing move the length of the pitch to double their lead.

Stuttgart gave themselves hope of grabbing at least a point when Deniz Udav, on loan from Brighton, pulled a goal back in the 71st minute, his 17th Bundesliga goal.

Top scorer Serhou Guirassy was brought down in the box in the 87th minute but was ruled offside, denying the striker a chance to equalize from the spot.