Bayern drop more Bundesliga points with draw at Hoffenheim

AP , Saturday 12 Mar 2022

Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich dropped more points Saturday in a 1-1 draw at Hoffenheim, while Stuttgart gained a vital draw in its fight against relegation.

Bayern s Robert Lewandowski gestures during a German Bundesliga soccer match between TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Bayern Munich in Sinsheim, Germany, Saturday, March 12, 2022. Lewandowski scored once and the match ended in a 1-1 draw. AP

Robert Lewandowski's 29th league goal of the season was all Bayern could get despite dominating the game in Sinsheim, where Christoph Baumgartner had opened the scoring in the 32nd minute for Hoffenheim.

It was Bayern's second consecutive draw in the Bundesliga after last weekend's 1-1 with Bayer Leverkusen, and the third game in its last five in which it has dropped points.

Bayern stretched its lead to 10 points but second-place Borussia Dortmund has played two games fewer. Bayern has eight matches left to play while Dortmund hosts coronavirus-hit Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday, and it still has to face Mainz after their game last week was postponed due to coronavirus infections.

Bayern had three goals ruled out for offside and missed a host of chances, while Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann helped frustrate the visitors with a string of good saves.

Lewandowski finally equalized in first-half injury time with a powerful header to Joshua Kimmich's corner, but the Poland star was unable to add to his tally in the second half.

Sasa Kalajdzic scored in the last minute to lift Stuttgart out of a direct relegation place with a 1-1 draw at Union Berlin.

Stuttgart, which ended its nine-game run without a win last weekend, moved ahead of Union's city rival Hertha Berlin on goal difference ahead of Hertha's game at struggling Borussia Monchengladbach later Saturday.

Freiburg moved to fourth, the last qualification place for the Champions League, with a 3-2 win at home over Wolfsburg.

Vincenzo Grifo opened the scoring with a perfectly placed free kick in the seventh minute, then rewarded Freiburg's dominance with a brilliant second goal before the break. Nicolas Hofler crossed from the left and Grifo controlled the ball with his first touch and volleyed it in with his next.

Wolfsburg fought back to equalize in the second half, but Nico Schlotterbeck atoned for a mistake that preceded the equalizer when he let fly for the winner in the 87th.

Mainz' game at Augsburg was called off due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak among the visitors.

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