Berlin, Feb 22 (DPA) A dramatic late goal that gave Werder Bremen a 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen prevented the visitors from opening a two-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga standings.
Germany defender Per Mertesacker’s goal in injury time Sunday saw Bremen snatch a deserved draw against Bayer Leverkusen, who would have moved two points ahead of Bayern Munich with a victory.
Both teams now have 49 points, but Leverkusen are one goal better than Bayern, who drew 1-1 at Nuremberg on Saturday.
The other late game on Sunday saw VfL Wolfsburg come from behind to beat Schalke 04 2-1.
In Bremen Bayer Leverkusen took the lead in the 29th minute with an Eren Derdiyok free-kick that he placed through the Bremen wall after team-mate Stefan Kiessling, who had positioned himself next to the Bremen players, ducked to allow the ball through.
It took Bremen just five minutes to draw level as German goalkeeper Rene Adler gifted the home side an equaliser when he let a Naldo free-kick slip through his hands and his legs, allowing Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro to push the ball over the line.
Leverkusen again went ahead in the 57th minute through Toni Kroos, whose long-range effort from 25 metres beat goalkeeper Tim Wiese.
The visitors then held onto the draw until two minutes into injury time when Mertesacker headed a cross from Germany team-mate Mesut Ozil into goal for a 2-2 draw.
The other late game saw the defending champions Wolfsburg come from behind to beat Schalke 04.
They should have taken the lead against the club now coached by Felix Magath, who took them to the title last season.
Edin Dzeko had the ball in the back of the net in the 12th minute but the referee wrongly called the pass offside.
Dzeko and his striking partner Grafite continued putting pressure on the Schalke goal, but failed to find the breakthrough.
Instead, it was Germany striker Kevin Kuranyi whose header from close range gave the visitors the lead on the half hour after an Ivan Rakitic corner.
Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who is expected to be one of the three Germany goalkeepers at the World Cup finals in South Africa later this year, was at fault as Grafite equalised in the 71st minute, allowing the Brazilian to head home.
Just six minutes later Grafite scored his second of the afternoon to give Wolfsburg a good victory that takes them to 12th in the standings on 28 points.
In the earlier game a brace from Cicero as well as a further effort from Adrian Ramos gave Hertha Berlin a vital 3-0 victory over fellow relegation rivals SC Freiburg.
Friedhelm Funkel’s side still remain two points adrift at the bottom on 15 points despite the away win but are now only four points behind the safety of 16th place currently occupied by Freiburg.
The home side rarely threatened and fell behind on 28 minutes when Cedrick Makiadi carelessly gave the ball away in midfield to Raffael, who raced forward before despatching a shot from the edge of the area.
Freiburg goalkeeper Simon Pouplin could only parry the Brazilian’s effort into the path of Adrian Ramos, who was able to steer the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.
Seven minutes later Cicero doubled Hertha’s lead, scoring from an acute angle after playing a 1-2 with Ramos.
Freiburg’s misery was completed on 56 minutes when a blocked Theofanis Gekas shot fell to Cicero, who netted his second of the game from 17 metres to make it 3-0.
rounak