Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich survived several first-half scares in a 1-1 home draw with midtable Schalke 04 on Saturday as Philipp Lahm made his 500th appearance for the Bavarian club.
Second-placed RB Leipzig lost ground after losing 1-0 against Borussia Dortmund and were left fuming after Federico Palacios had a goal disallowed for offside with almost the last kick of the game.
Despite Leipzig’s protests, replays showed that Palacios was marginally offside.
Photo: EPA
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the winner for last season’s runners-up after a superb run and cross by teenager Ousmane Dembele.
Bayern, who have 46 points from 19 games as they chase a fifth successive title, increased their lead over Leipzig to four points while Dortmund (34) stayed third, ahead of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on goal difference, who brushed aside FSV Mainz 05 4-0 with Adam Szalai scoring twice in the final five minutes.
Robert Lewandowski finished off a flowing move by clipping the ball over Ralf Faehrmann for this 15th goal of the season in the ninth minute, but Schalke leveled four minutes later when Naldo’s low free-kick found its way past Manuel Neuer.
Eleventh-placed Schalke, the fourth team to take a point from the Allianz Arena this season, then missed several chances for a halftime lead.
Neuer denied Sead Kolasinac who had a clear run on goal, then Guido Burgstaller hit the crossbar and finally Leon Goretzka dallied over a shot, allowing Juan Bernat to get back and tackle.
Lahm, 33, came on in the second half to a rapturous reception and Schalke were forced on to the back foot as Bayern took control.
Javi Martinez drilled a shot just wide before some superb defending by Matija Nastasic foiled the Bavarians.
“We can be very satisfied,” Schalke coach Markus Weinzierl said. “My team played really well and put the early setback behind them.”
“We should have taken the lead before halftime and in the second half we were put under pressure,” he said. “We can certainly live with a point.”
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