Bayern Munich were held to a 1-1 draw at Union Berlin on Saturday, leaving defending champions Bayer Leverkusen with an outside chance of getting back into the Bundesliga title race. With Bayern’s recent loss to Bochum and the draw at Union, they could be just six points ahead if Leverkusen wins at Stuttgart on Sunday.
“It was a game of two stories: the performance and the result,” said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany. “I’ve been in football long enough to know this wasn’t a bad performance away from home.”
He added, “Sometimes when you don’t score, it’s not because the strikers aren’t trying, but because the defenders and goalkeepers do a lot of things right.”
Bayern dominated possession but struggled to break down Union’s strong defense. Their best opportunity came in the 51st minute when Harry Kane’s free-kick was saved by Union’s goalkeeper Frederik Ronnow.
Leroy Sane gave Bayern the lead in the 75th minute, tapping in a pass from Josip Stanisic after maneuvering through a crowded penalty area. However, Union responded well and equalized through Benedict Hollerbach, who capitalized on an error by Bayern’s young goalkeeper, Jonas Urbig.
Union applied pressure in the final moments but were unable to score the winner, which would have given them their first-ever victory over Bayern in their 12th attempt. Despite lingering near the relegation zone for much of the season, Union have a strong home record against top teams.
Union coach Steffen Baumgart praised his team’s “passion in defense,” saying they had earned “a point that nobody would have expected,” moving seven points clear of the relegation zone.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund’s hopes of securing a Champions League spot next season took a major blow as they lost 2-0 to RB Leipzig, leaving them in 11th place. Leipzig took the lead after 18 minutes through Xavi Simons’ rebound and doubled it just after halftime when Lois Openda volleyed in a corner.
Despite Dortmund’s second-half dominance and three shots hitting the crossbar, they couldn’t convert any of their chances. Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy wasted several good opportunities, and the defeat leaves them seven points adrift of the top four, with their Champions League hopes now looking unlikely.
Dortmund coach Niko Kovac admitted, “We beat ourselves, that’s what happened today.”
In other Bundesliga action, Mainz and Freiburg played to a 2-2 draw. Despite being reduced to 10 men after Dominik Kohr’s red card, Mainz took the lead twice, only for Freiburg to equalize both times.
An Alassane Plea hat-trick helped Borussia Mönchengladbach secure a 4-2 win at Werder Bremen, keeping their hopes alive for a return to European competition.
Augsburg continued their impressive form with a 1-0 victory over Wolfsburg, extending their unbeaten run to 10 matches, conceding just three goals in 2025, the fewest in the top five European leagues.