Leipzig hold Bayern 1-1 to defend top spot in German Bundesliga

BERLIN - Leipzig defended the first place in the standings after Emil Forsberg's converted penalty neutralized Robert Lewandowski's opener to secure one point at the 4th round in Bundesliga on Saturday.

Bayern Munich dominated the first half but were wasteful with their chances whereas Leipzig shocked the visitors with the 1-1 draw before the break against the run of the play.

The defending champions grabbed a fairy tale start into the clash as Thomas Mueller's through ball sent Lewandowski, who had a lot of green ahead before beating onrushing Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi with three minutes played.

Bayern controlled possession and pressed the hosts into the defence but yet they were unable to make the most of their chances as Lewandowski headed wide before Serge Gnabry failed to tap home Kingsley Coman's build-up work.

Leipzig were unable to gain a foothold into the game but still they were able to restore parity out of the blue as Lucas Hernandez fouled Yussuf Poulsen inside the box. Forsberg stepped up and made no mistake to level the scores from the spot just before the break.

The equalizer gave Julian Nagelsmann's men momentum and they started highly motivated into the second half. Hence, Nordi Mukiele's and Marcel Sabitzer's efforts forced Bayern custodian Manuel Neuer into action.

Both sides traded attacks but both goalkeepers stood firm to keep the 1-1 draw as Neuer palmed away Timo Werner's efforts before Gulacsi tipped Niklas Sule header around the second post in the dying seconds of the game.

"We played a stunning first half but we should have scored more goals. Overall we played very well but one point is not enough. That is why we are disappointed," Bayern Munich's head coach Niko Kovac said.

"We didn't play well in the first half but we improved our performance in the second half. I think a share of the spoils is fair enough," said Leipzig's head coach Julian Nagelsmann.

With the draw, Leipzig oust Dortmund from the top spot meanwhile the German record champions slipped to the 3rd place in the table.

The following fixtures conclude the 4th round on Sunday: Hoffenheim host Freiburg and newly promoted Paderborn see Schalke.