Last-gasp goal rescues point for rock-bottom Bochum against Bayer Leverkusen
While it would be unfair to suggest Leverkusen were on the back foot in the opening stages against Bochum, it was the hosts who started the brighter.
Yet they were dealt a harsh footballing lesson midway through the first half when they were hit with the ultimate sucker punch.
A momentary lapse of concentration in the Bochum back line saw them switch off to a Florian Wirtz ball, and Patrick Schick took it in his path before squeezing an effort in off post.
The visitors were in the ascendancy from that point on, and they were incredibly unlucky not to double their advantage soon after when Jeremie Frimpong forced a fine save out of Patrick Drewes.
Bochum certainly weren’t out of the game though and displayed their threat when Moritz Broschinski made the most of a turnover in possession, lashing an effort goalwards from the edge of the box. Lukas Hradecky, however, was equal to it.
It was always likely to be difficult for Bochum to get back into the match, but they made a good fist of it after half-time.
They were looking much more threatening in the final third, although creating clear-cut opportunities was still proving problematic.
The game was almost placed beyond any reasonable doubt 20 minutes from time when Frimpong angled in off the right and rifled an effort high into the roof of the net, but the offside flag cut short his joy.
It was a somewhat uncharacteristic performance from Leverkusen at times, with more of an emphasis on seeing the game out when last season they’d probably have gone for the jugular.
That approach was punished in brutal fashion in the dying moments too, when Koji Miyoshi pounced on a loose ball in the area and squeezed home an effort at the near post to frustrate Die Werkself and secure just a second Bundesliga point of the season.
Xabi Alonso's reigning champions are now nine points adrift of Bayern at the summit and cannot afford to drop many more points if they are to defend the Meisterschale.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
