US midfielder Michael Bradley’s late equalizer sealed Borussia Munchengladbach’s stunning fight-back to claim a 2-2 draw and end Bayern Munich’s winning streak on Saturday as Leverkusen stayed top of the Bundesliga.
France midfielder Franck Ribery and Italy striker Luca Toni had put Bayern Munich 2-0 up at Gladbach, before the home side scored twice in the last 15 minutes to keep Bayern third in the table behind Hoffenheim and Leverkusen.
Canada striker Rob Friend scored with a header on 78 minutes, before Bradley got his head to a cross on 81 minutes to share the points and bring Bayern’s five-match winning streak to an end.
PHOTO: AP
Bayern took the lead on 21 minutes when Italian World Cup winner Toni scored his second goal in two games after he converted a pass from Germany defender Philipp Lahm.
Gladbach’s teenage forward Marko Marin, who is in the Germany squad for Wednesday night’s friendly against England at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, was a constant thorn in Munich’s side with probing runs.
Ribery converted a penalty just after the hour mark and it appeared Bayern were cruising to three points until Friend and Bradley nodded Gladbach level with time running out to put them 14th in the league.
Ten-man Bayer Leverskusen stay top of the Bundesliga after their 2-1 win over Schalke 04 thanks to first-half goals by Germany strikers Patrick Helmes and Stefan Kiessling.
Schalke’s ex-Germany striker Kevin Kuranyi scored a consolation goal and Bayer were reduced to 10 men with just over an hour played when Gonzalo Castro was sent off on 67 minutes, but the league leaders hung on.
Second-placed Hoffenheim had a tough time as guests Wolfsburg twice equalized as the scores were locked at 2-2 at halftime. But Hoffenheim stayed neck-and-neck with Bayer on 28 points thanks to a 69th minute winner from Nigeria striker Chinedu Obasi.
Two goals in three minutes gave Hertha Berlin a 2-1 win over Hamburg at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium to fire the home side to fourth in the table.
Borussia Dortmund enjoyed a 4-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt as their teenage defender Neven Subotic scored two first-half goals to add to the five he already has this season.
In Saturday’s other results, VfB Stuttgart drew 0-0 with Armenia Bielefeld and Energie Cottbus picked up only their second win of the season when they beat Karlsruhe 1-0.
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