Leverkusen Denies Gladbach Win in Thrilling Bundesliga Draw!

Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach battled to a 1-1 draw in a captivating Bundesliga match. The game marked Eugen Polanski's debut as interim coach for Gladbach, following the departure of Gerardo Seoane earlier in the week. Despite a spirited performance, Gladbach's winless streak extended to eleven games.

Polanski's Debut Ends in Stalemate

The match, played in front of a sold-out crowd of 30,210 at the BayArena, saw Haris Tabakovic score a dramatic late equalizer (90+2’) for Gladbach, securing a valuable point. New signing Malik Tillman had earlier put Leverkusen ahead in the 70th minute. This draw marks Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand's first tie in the league.

Team Lineups and Early Pressure

Gladbach was forced to make several changes to their starting lineup due to injuries to key players Robin Hack and Frank Honorat. Polanski brought in Joe Scally, Yannik Engelhardt, Jens Castrop, and Kevin Stöger. Leverkusen also made changes, with Aleix Garcia and Ibrahim Maza replacing the suspended Robert Andrich and Ezequiel Fernández.

Leverkusen started strongly, pinning Gladbach back in their own half. Goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas comfortably saved an early effort from Edmond Tapsoba. Nicolas then made an excellent reflex save to deny Patrick Schick from a Grimaldo free-kick.

Gladbach Grows into the Game

Despite Leverkusen dominating possession, Gladbach gradually found their footing and began to pose a threat. Debutant Castrop thought he had scored in the 23rd minute, but the goal was disallowed by VAR.

The draw will give Gladbach some confidence as they look to turn their season around. Leverkusen, meanwhile, will feel they should have taken all three points but were ultimately undone by Tabakovic's late intervention.