DORTMUND: Bayer Leverkusen’s Josip Stanisic scored a stoppage-time goal for the champions to rescue a 1-1 Bundesliga draw at Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, sparing Xabi Alonso’s side from suffering their first loss of the season.

Striker Niclas Fuellkrug gave Dortmund the lead in the 81st minute but Stanisic levelled for Leverkusen in the seventh minute of stoppage time, heading home a Florian Wirtz corner.

The Croatia defender helped extend the newly-crowned champions’ unbeaten run in all competitions to 45 games after they secured their first Bund­esliga title with a 5-0 victory over Werder Bremen last weekend.

Leverkusen are on 80 points from 30 games.

Dortmund, who on Tuesday advanced to the Champions League semi-finals with a 5-4 aggregate win over Atletico Madrid, are fifth with 57 points, two points behind RB Leipzig.

Alejandro Grimaldo came close to scoring for Leverkusen twice towards the end of the first half, both times sending the ball narrowly over the bar, before goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky dived to deny Dortmund’s Marcel Sabitzer from close range.

Nathan Tella could have then opened the scoring for Alonso’s men from point-blank range in the 68th minute, after Jonas Hofmann squared him the ball inside the box, but Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel caught the ball on the goalline.

Despite a narrow advantage on the visitors’ side, Fuellkrug put Dortmund in front with a late volley inside the left post, after Sabitzer teed him up with a lovely cushioned pass before the ball went in off Hradecky’s gloves.

Things got tense between the players and Leverkusen forward Victor Boniface was initially shown a red card for what seemed an unsportsmanlike conduct but referee overturned his decision after a VAR check.

Grimaldo had another great chance from a free kick as he sent the ball towards the upper corner that was denied by a stunning save from Kobel, before Stanisic found the record-saving equaliser less than a minute later following a corner.

Meanwhile, Werder Bremen took a major step to top-flight survival as Marvin Ducksch scored a brace in a 2-1 home win over high-flying Stuttgart.

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

For the third-placed visitors, who have guaranteed at least a Europa League place for next season, the loss was their first since January.

In Sunday’s late game, Mainz drew 1-1 at Freiburg to lift themselves out of the relegation spots for the first time since August.

Jonathan Burkardt levelled things up for the visitors after Michael Gregoritsch’s early strike, sending Mainz into the safety of 15th and pushing Bochum into the relegation play-off spot.

Published in Dawn, April 23nd, 2024