LEIPZIG: A second-half equaliser from RB Leipzig defender Marcel Halstenberg helped RB Leipzig hold leaders Bayern Munich to a 1-1 home draw on Friday in the first Bundesliga match since the winter break.

Bayern looked on course for their seventh straight Bundesliga win after striker Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting scored in the 37th minute following a strong first half, but Halstenberg levelled seven minutes after the restart.

Bayern, missing several players through injury, including keeper Manuel Neuer, Sadio Mane and Lucas Hernandez, are top on 35 points and will still finish the round as outright leaders, regardless of other results. Leipzig have 29 points.

With Swiss international Yann Som­mer in goal, after the keeper was signed on Thursday from Borussia Moen­chengladbach to replace the injured Neuer, they got off to a strong start with Serge Gnabry hitting the post in the eighth minute.

Leon Goretzka then put the ball into the net in the 31st but with his effort being ruled out for being offside, Bayern upped the pressure.

It paid off in the 38th when Gnabry floated a perfect cross into the box and Cameroon forward Choupo-Moting beat his markers to tap in at the far post.

Leipzig, who had not lost a league game since September, struggled in the first half but struck with Halstenberg’s effort also at the far post.

On Saturday, Freiburg were hoping to cut the gap to Bayern to two points but were crushed 6-0 by VfL Wolfsburg with three goals in each half.

Jonas Wind struck twice following Patrick Wimmer’s second-minute opener, with Yannick Gerhardt adding another early in the second half to seal their fifth straight league victory.

Baku Ridle rattled in another in the 80th minute before a stoppage time Luca Waldschmidt penalty completed the demolition job.

The win lifted them to sixth place on 26 points while Freiburg, who had won four of their previous five Bundesliga matches, dropped to fourth on 30, alongside third-placed Union Berlin, who fought back to win 3-1 at home against Hoffenheim.

Eintracht Frankfurt, 3-0 winners over Schalke 04, moved into second place on goal difference, also on 30 points.

Published in Dawn, January 22th, 2023