Bayer Leverkusen missed the opportunity to secure a third straight Bundesliga win after a dramatic late penalty handed FC Augsburg a 2-1 victory at the BayArena, a result that drops Die Werkself to sixth in the table.
Augsburg initially looked shaky, nearly punished when a loose clearance fell kindly to Ibrahim Maza, but goalkeeper Finn Dahmen reacted quickly to push the effort over the bar.
Leverkusen soon made their pressure count, with Patrik Schick opening the scoring.
The striker powered home a header from Edmond Tapsoba’s delivery, marking his 75th goal for the club and extending his scoring streak to four consecutive league matches.
True to form, Leverkusen’s high-scoring first halves continued, but their lead lasted only moments.
Augsburg struck back through Fabian Rieder, who finished smartly after linking up with Dimitris Giannoulis, leaving Mark Flekken with little chance.
The hosts created numerous chances before the break but failed to capitalize. Nathan Tella endured a frustrating spell, first heading over before dragging another attempt wide.
Dahmen then produced a fine save to deny Tapsoba, while Schick and Alejandro Grimaldo also failed to hit the target.
Augsburg had their moments too, with Rodrigo Ribeiro going close, but Dahmen’s sharp double save kept them level heading into the interval.
After the restart, Flekken was called into action more frequently, making important stops from Giannoulis and Ribeiro.
Despite that, Leverkusen continued to threaten, though Tella’s struggles persisted as he squandered a golden opportunity, shooting straight at Dahmen with the goal wide open. Grimaldo also went close but fired off target.
Leverkusen’s wastefulness proved costly. Maza curled an effort wide, and Tella’s misery deepened when the ball slipped through his legs from close range.
A potential penalty appeal for handball against Jeffrey Gouweleeuw was waved away after VAR intervention.
The decisive moment came in stoppage time when Augsburg were awarded a penalty after Montrell Culbreath fouled Uchenna Ogundu in the box. Rieder stepped up and calmly converted, completing his brace and sealing a memorable comeback.
The result ends Leverkusen’s seven-match unbeaten run, shifting their attention to a crucial DFB-Pokal semi-final clash with Bayern Munich.
Augsburg, meanwhile, complete a surprising league double over their opponents and celebrate a victory that will linger long in the memory of their travelling fans.
