Leverkusen hold Bayern

Bayer Leverkusen held firm in the face of a dominant Bayern Munich to claim a 1-1 draw with the new Bundesliga leaders.

Bayer Leverkusen held firm in the face of a dominant Bayern Munich to claim a point in a 1-1 draw with the new Bundesliga leaders. Toni Kroos put Bayern ahead after half an hour, but Sidney Sam's swift reply earned Sami Hyypia's men a draw in a one-sided encounter which the visitors will feel they should have won. Bayern missed chance after chance, but were unable to find a winner, although the point was still enough to take them clear of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the table. Bayern, no doubt boosted by Dortmund's defeat to Monchengladbach earlier on Saturday, sensed the opportunity to move clear at the top of the table and set about the job diligently. Franck Ribery was in menacing form down the left, carving out a host of opportunities, but it was largely Bayern's shooting which was letting them down. Bernd Leno in the Leverkusen goal played his part too in keeping Pep Guardiola's men at bay until the half-hour mark, when their resistance was finally broken. Unsurprisingly, it was one of Ribery's incursions down the left which led to the goal, the Frenchman pulling the ball back to the unmarked Kroos, who was able to place a left-footed shot into the roof of the net from level with the penalty spot. Bayern's celebrations were short-lived, though, with Leverkusen levelling just a minute later. Lars Bender's shot was pushed out by Manuel Neuer to the looming Sam, who had the whole goal at his mercy, and made no mistake. Thomas Muller should have headed Bayern back in front, but he sent the ball over from David Alaba's cross while Xherdan Shaqiri shot straight at Leno. Bayern moved up a notch in the second half, turning up the heat, but finding Leno in inspirational form to deny Ribery twice and Muller shortly after. It was backs to the wall stuff for Leverkusen, who almost saw their hard-earned point snatched away in stoppage time when Giulio Donati made a clearance off the line to deny Bastian Schweinsteiger. Leverkusen broke and Son Heung-min could even have snatched them a winner, but they will be happy enough to have earned a draw which takes them with Dortmund and keeps them a point behind Bayern.