Bayer Leverkusen failed to secure a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League after being held to a 1-1 draw by Hamburg on the final day of the Bundesliga campaign.
Kasper Hjulmand’s Bayer Leverkusen side went into the decisive fixture knowing only a victory could keep alive their slim hopes of overtaking Stuttgart and Hoffenheim in the race for a top-four finish.
The hosts were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead midway through the opening half after Patrik Schick was brought down in the box by Jordan Torunarigha.
However, Hamburg goalkeeper Sander Tangvik produced a fine save to deny the Czech forward from the penalty spot.
Hamburg stunned the BayArena crowd shortly after the restart when Fabio Vieira curled home a superb strike from outside the area to put the visitors ahead.
Leverkusen eventually found an equaliser in the 78th minute as Jarell Quansah rose highest to meet Aleix Garcia’s free-kick, with the defender’s header taking a heavy deflection off Nicolai Remberg before finding the back of the net.
Alex Grimaldo nearly snatched a dramatic winner deep into stoppage time, but Tangvik was again equal to the task as Leverkusen were forced to settle for a Europa League place.
Even victory would not have been enough for Leverkusen in the end, as Stuttgart sealed fourth place following a 2-2 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. Hoffenheim also failed to capitalise after suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach.
Despite dominating large spells of the contest and finishing with a superior expected goals tally of 3.32 compared to Hamburg’s 1.79, Leverkusen could not extend their run of six consecutive Bundesliga home wins against Hamburg.
The equaliser also marked Leverkusen’s 23rd league goal from set-piece situations this season, while Hamburg extended their run without a clean sheet to 14 matches.
