Haris Tabakovic's late header secured Borussia Monchengladbach a 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen, denying Kasper Hjulmand back-to-back Bundesliga victories. Despite remaining unbeaten in his first three
games since taking over from Erik ten Hag, Hjulmand's team couldn't hold their lead after Malick Tillman's goal.
Leverkusen initially had the upper hand with Patrik Schick's early header from a free-kick, but Moritz Nicolas made a crucial save. Gladbach gradually found their rhythm, and Jens Castrope's powerful shot was disallowed for offside after 23 minutes. Joe Scally nearly scored before halftime, but Mark Flekken deflected his attempt wide.
After the break, Gladbach kept pressing as Kevin Stoger narrowly missed the target. Leverkusen finally broke through in the 70th minute when Tillman capitalised on Schick's mishit shot to score with a deflected effort. Ibrahim Maza attempted to extend their lead, but Nicolas blocked his tight-angled shot at the near post.
This season, Leverkusen has struggled to maintain leads, dropping seven points from winning positions in the Bundesliga—more than any other team. Under Xabi Alonso, they often salvaged points with late goals, but this time they were on the receiving end of a late equaliser at BayArena.
Tabakovic's decisive header came from Charles Herrmann's corner, leaving Flekken unable to stop it. This goal marked Gladbach's first in the competition this term after five goalless matches. Despite not winning in 12 league games against Leverkusen (D3 L9), they matched their opponents with 13 attempts each.
The match statistics showed both teams had equal opportunities, though Leverkusen underperformed their expected goals (xG) of 1.58. The result highlighted Gladbach's determination and resilience as they ended their scoring drought against a challenging opponent.
We share the points. 90+5' | 1-1 | #B04BMG pic.twitter.com/XeBRP7HnCI
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) September 21, 2025
The game concluded with both teams sharing the spoils after an intense battle. While Leverkusen will be disappointed with their inability to secure all three points, Gladbach can take heart from their spirited performance and ability to find the net once more.
