Berlin (dpa) – FC Bayern missed a win against champions Bayer Leverkusen in the top game of the Bundesliga. The superior Munich team had to be content with a 1:1 (1:1) at home on the fifth matchday, meaning the leaders gave up points for the first time. Leverkusen are third behind RB Leipzig, three points behind.

Double winners Leverkusen took the lead in the 31st minute after a corner gift from Bayern with a direct shot from Robert Andrich. Eight minutes later, Aleksandar Pavlovic also scored well from distance to equalize for the superior hosts. Serge Gnabry missed the lead shortly after the break when he hit the post and crossbar in a scene. Hardly anything came forward from the defensive Leverkusen team.

RB Leipzig is in second place after beating FC Augsburg 4-0 (2-0). SC Freiburg, on the other hand, missed out on the top spot after losing 0-3 (0-2) against FC St. Pauli. The Hamburg newcomers celebrate their first win of the season.

Runner-up VfB Stuttgart barely managed a 2-2 (1-1) draw at VfL Wolfsburg. Thanks to the 2-0 (1-0) win at FSV Mainz 05, 1. FC Heidenheim managed to move up the table. Borussia Mönchengladbach secured a 1-0 (0-0) win against 1. FC Union Berlin with a late goal from Tomas Cvancara (90+6).

Sesko scores twice, Stuttgart celebrates late goal

Leipzig takes the lead through Benjamin Sesko (11th) after an assist from Loïs Openda. The striker scored from 16 meters – and again a little later in the 15th minute. Augsburg’s captain Jeffrey Gouweleeuw failed with a penalty kick from Leipzig’s goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi (27th). Openda (46th) and Xavi Simons (57th) also scored for RB in the second half.

Freiburg had to accept their first goal early on from Elias Saad (12th), and for Pauli it was the first second goal of the season. The hosts had a great chance to equalize shortly before the break, but Vincenzo Grifo failed with a penalty kick past Hamburg goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj (41′). Pauli scored the next goal again: Oladapo Afolayan (45th) increased the score to 2-0 from the visitors’ perspective. After the substitution, Saad scored again (72′). Two Freiburg goals do not count because of offside.

Wolfsburg took the lead through Jonas Wind (20th) after a counterattack, but VfB equalized in time through Enzo Millot (32nd). The Frenchman initially failed with a penalty kick from VfL goalkeeper Kamil Grabara, but then shot the blocked ball into the goal. Things became difficult for VfB after Atakan Karazor was sent off, who was wrongly shown yellow-red (63′). Then Mohamed Amoura (68th) also scored for Wolfsburg. A red card for Amoura was withdrawn shortly afterwards. Stuttgart still secured a point thanks to Deniz Undav’s late goal (90+7).

Yellow-red and red in Mainz

The Heidenheimers celebrate Marvin Pieringer’s goal to take the lead in the 15th minute. The Mainz central defender Andreas Hanche-Olsen further weakened his team before the break, he was shown yellow-red after repeated foul play (29th). In the final phase, however, it was ten against ten again: Niklas Dorsch was sent off after a foul with a red card (80th). But Heidenheim coped better with it – Jan Schöppner (86th) increased the score to 2-0.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:240928-930-246369/3