Germany striker Miroslav Klose spared Bayern Munich’s blushes on Saturday with a second-half equalizer to seal a 1-1 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach.
After Bayern beat Olympique Lyonnais 1-0 in the first-leg of the Champions League semi-final on Wednesday, Klose came off the bench to score only his third league goal of the season and keep his side top of the Bundesliga.
With two games left this season, second-placed Schalke 04’s 1-0 win at Hertha Berlin means the Royal Blues are now level on points with Bayern, albeit with an inferior goal difference.
“We didn’t play very well,” said Bayern coach Louis van Gaal, whose centerbacks Martin Demichelis and Daniel van Buyten are both struggling with calf injuries ahead of the return clash in Lyon. “We were the better team, but we didn’t win. However, I am pretty happy to take a point.”
German Cup finalists Bayern’s draw also keeps them on course for the treble, with the Champions League semi-final second leg at Lyon to come tomorrow.
After a hard-fought Champions League victory in midweek, Bayern appeared to be facing an equally daunting task when they conceded a goal on the hour.
Moenchengladbach midfielder Marco Reus, 20, was set free down the left by US midfielder Michael Bradley. Reus beat the Bayern defense and then blasted his strike past Bayern goalkeeper Hans-Joerg Butt.
Thirteen minutes later, however, Klose, the top scorer at the 2006 World Cup, showed his class by meeting a cross from Germany teammate Philipp Lahm and rising to send a superb header past ’Gladbach goalkeeper Logan Bailly.
Midfielder Franck Ribery, who is being investigated as part of an under-age call-girl scandal rocking the France national team, played the full game, but was booed on occasion at the sold-out Borussia Park.
Bottom side Hertha Berlin are now almost certain to be relegated at the end of the season after Schalke captain Heiko Westermann scored the winner on 87 minutes, putting his side level with Bayern on 64 points.
“It wasn’t a good game for either side,” Schalke coach Felix Magath said. “The victory at the end made things a bit happier for us and we are now sure of Champions League football for next season. In the fight for the Bundesliga title, I am sure Bayern will not win both of their last two games [against VfL Bochum and Hertha Berlin].”
Werder Bremen are third in the league having beaten Cologne 1-0 with a last-minute goal.
Captain Torsten Frings scored a 91st-minute penalty after defender Pedro Geromel gave away the spot-kick with a handball. Geromel was also red-carded.
Bayer Leverkusen are fourth after a 3-0 win over struggling Hannover 96.
Germany striker Stefan Kiessling hit the opener on 26 minutes, while Turkey midfielder Burak Kaplan added the second on 64 minutes, before Kiessling scored his 21st league goal of the season from the penalty spot on 87 minutes.
Borussia Dortmund stayed in the hunt for third place, and a potential Champions League spot next season, with a 3-2 win at relegation candidates Nuremberg as striker Lucas Barrios scored a hat-trick.
Mid-table FSV Mainz 05 were held to a 3-3 draw at home to Eintracht Frankfurt.
On Friday, VfB Stuttgart enjoyed a 2-0 win at VfL Bochum, which gave Christian Gross’ side their 15th win of the season to leave them in sixth and on the verge of a European place for next season.
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