Title race hots up after stubborn Leipzig hold leaders Bayern

RB Leipzig maintained their push for the title by holding leaders Bayern Munich to a goalless stalemate in German League game on Sunday. They remained in second with being just one-point adrift to the defending champions to heat up the title race. Leipzig frustrated the leaders with a defiant defence as Bayern muffed the chance to open a four-point lead on the top after third-placed Borussia Dortmund’s 4-3 loss at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. Bayern are bidding to win an eighth straight league title.

They were awarded a second-half penalty, which was then reversed when VAR showed Robert Lewandowski had been offside.

Second-placed Leipzig often rode their luck to repeatedly frustrate Bayern, but wasted a series of second-half chances themselves.

“The problem was that both teams could live with a 0-0 draw,” admitted Bayern forward Thomas Mueller.

“In the end, neither team wanted to take the absolute risks, which meant we didn’t play to our strengths.”

Bayern coach Hansi Flick expects this season’s title race to go to the wire.

“The Bundesliga will be tense until the end,” he said.

“There are a few teams with a chance. We want to keep our position, but it’s going to be a hard path to stay on.” Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann said his side showed the bravery required to win in Munich.

“In the second-half, we had much clearer chances to win the game,” he said.

“We were brave, defended high up and had a good grip on the game.”

Leipzig striker Timo Werner, who missed a golden opportunity on 63 minutes, rued his team’s missed chances, including a skied effort by captain Marcel Sabitzer.

“In the beginning, it seemed just a matter of time before we scored,” admitted Werner.

“But in the second half we played as our coach (Julian Nagelsmann) wanted and were the better team. We could have won.” The top-of-the-table clash, in front of 75,000 spectators, was the only top-tier fixture in Germany on Sunday.

Agence France-Presse