LEIPZIG: Bayern Munich struck twice in the second half to come from two goals down and snatch a 2-2 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday but the champions dropped to third place in the Bundesliga with their second draw of the season.

Goals from Leroy Sane and Harry Kane in the second half cancelled out Leipzig’s first-half lead but the result left them on 14 points in third, two behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen. Leipzig are fifth, a further point behind.

Leipzig struck twice in six minutes with Lois Openda putting them in front in the 20th when he completed a quick break.

Before Bayern had any time to bounce back, they scored again with Castello Lukeba stabbing in from close range after keeper Sven Ulreich misjudged a corner.

Bayern earned a 57th-minute penalty against the run of play for a handball and Kane kept his cool to cut the deficit with his eighth league goal.

The Bavarians’ comeback was complete in the 70th with Kane clearing the ball in his own half and Jamal Musiala finding Leroy Sane for the equaliser.

Earlier on Saturday, Leverkusen continued their blistering start to the season, winning 3-0 at struggling Mainz to go top of the table.

Leverkusen took the lead after 18 minutes as wing-back Jeremie Frimpong forced Mainz defender Sepp van den Berg into an own goal.

Dead-ball specialist Alejandro Grimaldo doubled Leverkusen’s lead with a pinpoint free-kick before Germany winger Jonas Hofmann scored a third to round out another win.

Meanwhile, Union Berlin’s poor start to the season continued, losing 1-0 away at promoted Heidenheim after a second-half goal from Jan-Niklas Beste.

Beste’s free-kick deflected into the net midway through the second half, consigning Champions League participants Union to their fifth consecutive defeat in all competitions for the first time since 2004.

Surprise package VfB Stuttgart continued their remarkable rise this season, winning 2-0 at Cologne thanks to a brace from Deniz Undav.

Stuttgart sit second having won five of six matches.

Wolfsburg striker Jonas Wind scored both goals to help his team to a 2-0 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Elsewhere, a double from Alassane Plea earned Broussia Monchengladbach their first win of the season, a 3-1 victory away at Bochum.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2023