Undefeated Bayern Munich stumbled to a 0-0 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday that ended their four-game winning streak in the Bundesliga, but kept them four points clear at the top.
In Borussia-Park, Pep Guardiola’s team lacked the sharpness up front that they showed in the 7-1 demolition of AS Roma in the UEFA Champions League last week, but the point gained put the champions on 21 points, ahead of surprise package Moenchengladbach in second.
Bayern may not have hit top form yet, but still kept a clean sheet in their seventh straight league game for the first time since 2011.
Moenchengladbach have now gone 14 games without defeat in all competitions this season.
Bayern had in-form winger Arjen Robben out injured and Franck Ribery on the bench, but still looked dangerous and got their first clear chance after 10 minutes when David Alaba’s curled shot was palmed onto the post by Yann Sommer.
The visiting Bavarian side were in control in the first half, but the home side had striker Robert Lewandowski under constant guard, leaving last season’s top scorer little space to move.
Die Fohlen forwards Max Kruse and Andre Hahn were denied by ’keeper Manuel Neuer as the hosts improved in the second to confirm their status among the toughest teams to beat this term.
Neuer had to came to the rescue twice more, showing superb reflexes to tip Raffael’s free-kick wide in the 67th and stopping the Brazilian’s drive 10 minutes later.
“If they did not have Neuer today, Bayern would have to swallow one or two goals,” Moenchengladbach midfielder Christoph Kramer told reporters.
In the day’s other game, VfL Wolfsburg ended FSV Mainz 05’s unbeaten start to the season with a 3-0 win that was their fourth straight and moved them to third, level on points with die Fohlen.
Naldo headed in the first half, before Ivan Perisic slotted in on the hour and Daniel Caligiuri’s 87th-minute goal sealed their win.
Mainz, who suffered their first league defeat in their ninth game, are sixth on 14.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
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