Bayer Leverkusen were forced to settle for their first Bundesliga draw since September after a 1-1 result against Borussia Mönchengladbach, who at least ended a long run of home defeats in this fixture dating back to 2018.
Gladbach started brightly, looking determined to disrupt Leverkusen’s recent pattern of alternating wins and losses. Their intent paid off inside the opening 10 minutes.
Aleix Garcia was caught in possession following a loose pass from Janis Blaswich, allowing Haris Tabakovic to test the goalkeeper.
Although Blaswich made the initial save, he pushed the ball straight into the path of Yannik Engelhardt, who fired in from a tight angle to give the hosts the lead.
Leverkusen struggled to respond, finding it difficult to create clear chances in the final third. Gladbach nearly doubled their advantage when Jens Castrop forced a save from Blaswich with a powerful effort.
However, the visitors were handed an equaliser just before the interval. Malik Tillman set up Garcia on the edge of the area, and although his shot looked routine, Philipp Sander’s attempted clearance flew into his own net, leaving Moritz Nicolas helpless.
Despite the leveller, Leverkusen made changes at the break and almost completed the comeback early in the second half, but Patrik Schick’s effort struck the outside of the post.
Gladbach soon regained control of the tempo, with Castrop spurning a couple of promising opportunities. The closing stages were played at a frantic pace, with both sides pushing for a winner in an intense derby atmosphere.
However, poor finishing meant neither team could find the decisive goal.
The draw leaves Gladbach with three stalemates in their last four matches, a result that does little to ease their concerns near the lower end of the table, especially after leading for much of the game.
Leverkusen, meanwhile, extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to five matches as they turn their attention to an upcoming UEFA Champions League play-off against Olympiacos.
