Monday 24 April 2017 00:47, UK
RB Leipzig failed to fully grasp an opportunity to close the gap on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Schalke.
Bayern's 2-2 result at home to Mainz on Saturday had opened the door for Leipzig to cut the deficit to the top to six points.
But although Timo Werner gave them a first-half lead at the Veltins-Arena, a Klaas Jan Huntelaar equaliser saw the points shared to leave the Saxons eight points off the summit.
Schalke were the first to catch a sight of goal after 12 minutes, with Guido Burgstaller's header dropping narrowly wide.
And the hosts found themselves playing catch-up just two minutes later when Werner gave Leipzig the lead. Bernardo was the architect, providing a left-footed cross from the right which was nodded in by Werner for his 17th league goal of the season.
It could have been 2-0 after 19 minutes but Emil Forsberg was unable to make the most of a one-on-one opportunity and planted his shot wide.
The half-time interval served Schalke well, however, and the Royal Blues were back on level terms within a minute of the restart.
Burgstaller laid the ball off to Daniel Cagliuri, who whipped a cross into the area where an unmarked Huntelaar was waiting to head home from close range.
Schalke had the best opportunity to settle the match after 64 minutes, but Spanish defender Coke directed his five-yard header wide after the perfect tee-up from Max Meyer.
In Sunday's other match, Pascal Stenzel's late goal fired Freiburg back into the top six as they beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1.
The Borussia Dortmund loanee scored in the 89th minute to restore Freiburg's lead after Kevin Volland's second-half penalty for visitors Leverkusen cancelled out Nils Petersen's opener.
The hosts took the lead after 11 minutes when Mike Frantz's through-ball outfoxed the Leverkusen defence to feed Petersen and he drove high past the exposed Bernd Leno.
Leverkusen levelled when Volland was brought down in the box and he picked himself up to score on the hour but Stenzel was teed up by Petersen with a minute to go to win it.
