BERLIN: Defending champions Borussia Dortmund were held to a 1-1 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach yesterday as leaders Bayern Munich finshed the weekend a massive 17 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
Holders Dortmund take on Bayern on Wednesday in the quarter-finals of the German Cup, but Munich are running away with this season’s league title and are all, but guaranteed to end their three-year wait for silverware in May.
“Over the 60 minutes we played a really good away game, but as the match wore on, we played less football and Gladbach came back into it,” said Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp, whose team won the corresponding fixture 5-0 in September.“There are worse things than drawing away from home, but we aren’t happy.”
With both Borussia strikers Julian Schieber and Poland’s Robert Lewandowski suspended after recent red cards, Klopp played Germany midfielder Mario Goetze, 20, up front and he converted a 31st-minute penalty.
After being clear through on goal, Goetze was tripped by Gladbach keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and referee Guenter Perl pointed straight to the spot. AFP
