Bayern Munich survived an onslaught at the home of title rivals Bayer Leverkusen to retain their priceless eight-point lead at the Bundesliga summit.
Celtic’s Euro rivals were in action on Saturday night as the league leaders faced Xabi Alonso’s reigning champions in a top-of-the-table showdown. But unlike Wednesday’s Champions League battle at Parkhead, Munich were on the back foot for most of the evening. The German giants were let off the hook in a goalless first-half as the hosts hit the bar twice through Jeremie Frimpong and Nathan Tella. Keeper Leverkusen Lukas Hradecky was a virtual spectator too as Xabi Alonso’s side probed for a crucial breakthrough.
There was an injury scare in the final moments of the first 45, with Harry Kane requiring medical treatment after a nasty facial collision. The England captain was floored after clattering his jaw off Piero Hincapie’s shoulder, yet despite copping a sore face, managed to recover to see out the rest of the game.
The 29-goal frontman barely had a sniff up front, though, as Leverkusen dominated. Bayern were uncharacteristically poor on the ball too, as Leverkusen’s counter-press suffocated the visitors – a tactic that will be noted by Brendan Rodgers as Celtic look to overturn the 2-1 deficit at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday. It’s easier said than done, mind you.
Nathan Tella thought he’d broken the deadlock with a header from a corner, but Hiroki Ito somehow cleared his goal-bound effort off the line. Clearly unhappy with his side’s performance, Vincent Kompany made a flurry of changes to breathe some life into his goal-shy team – who incredibly failed to register a single shot on target.
However, a draw clearly suited the table-toppers as Germany’s most successful club set their sights on retaking their crown. And that’s exactly how it played out, as Leverkusen were left frustrated at the full-time whistle – with their two-in-a-row hopes probably all but over.