Leaders Leverkusen win late as Bundesliga bids goodbye to Beckenbauer

DPA
·2 min read
Augsburg goalkeeper Finn Dahmen (R) and Leverkusen's Patrik Schick (L) battle for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Bayer Leverkusen at the WWK Arena. Harry Langer/dpa
Augsburg goalkeeper Finn Dahmen (R) and Leverkusen's Patrik Schick (L) battle for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Bayer Leverkusen at the WWK Arena. Harry Langer/dpa
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Bayer Leverkusen started where they left on Saturday as their Bundesliga season resumed with another victory, but this time it was a last-gasp 1-0 win at Augsburg thanks to Exequiel Palacios.

The Argentina World Cup winner struck on 90 minutes to leave Xabi Alonso's side four points clear of champions Bayern Munich, who had returned from the mid-season break with a 3-0 home victory over Hoffenheim on Friday. Bayern also have a game in hand.

Like all Bundesliga matches this weekend, the game in Augsburg held a minute's silence for Franz Beckenbauer, who died last Sunday.

Leverkusen are now unbeaten in 17 league games and are top at the halfway point of the season. They claim the unofficial "winter champions" moniker as they dream of a first ever Bundesliga title.

Fourth-placed RB Leipzig came out of the mid-season break still in slumber, Eintracht Frankfurt in fifth recording a 1-0 win in eastern Germany.

New signings Donny van de Beek and Saša Kalajdžić came straight into the Frankfurt side but it was Ansgar Knauff with an early finish from Niels Nkounkou's superb cross who made the difference.

Third-bottom Mainz drew 1-1 with Wolfsburg, Freiburg and Union Berlin played out a 0-0 stalemate and new Cologne coach Timo Schulz began his reign with a 1-1 draw at home to Heidenheim. The hosts stayed second-bottom.

Bottom side Darmstadt host sixth-placed Borussia Dortmund in the late game. On Sunday, third-placed VfB Stuttgart visit Borussia Mönchengladbach after Bochum face Werder Bremen.

Augsburg's Jeffrey Gouweleeuw (L) and Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz (C) and Augsburg goalkeeper Finn Dahmen (R) battle for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Bayer Leverkusen at the WWK Arena. Harry Langer/dpa
Augsburg's Jeffrey Gouweleeuw (L) and Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz (C) and Augsburg goalkeeper Finn Dahmen (R) battle for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Bayer Leverkusen at the WWK Arena. Harry Langer/dpa
Augsburg goalkeeper Finn Dahmen (L) and Leverkusen's Patrik Schick (R) battle for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Bayer Leverkusen at the WWK Arena. Harry Langer/dpa
Augsburg goalkeeper Finn Dahmen (L) and Leverkusen's Patrik Schick (R) battle for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Bayer Leverkusen at the WWK Arena. Harry Langer/dpa
Leverkusen's Alejandro Grimaldo (L) and Augsburg's Fredrik Jensen (R) battle for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Bayer Leverkusen at the WWK Arena. Harry Langer/dpa
Leverkusen's Alejandro Grimaldo (L) and Augsburg's Fredrik Jensen (R) battle for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Bayer Leverkusen at the WWK Arena. Harry Langer/dpa
Augsburg's Ruben Vargas (L) and Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong (R) battle for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Bayer Leverkusen at the WWK Arena. Harry Langer/dpa
Augsburg's Ruben Vargas (L) and Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong (R) battle for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Bayer Leverkusen at the WWK Arena. Harry Langer/dpa
Augsburg's Niklas Dorsch (L) and Leverkusen's Adam Hlozek (C) and Augsburg's Fredrik Jensen (R) battle for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Bayer Leverkusen at the WWK Arena. Harry Langer/dpa
Augsburg's Niklas Dorsch (L) and Leverkusen's Adam Hlozek (C) and Augsburg's Fredrik Jensen (R) battle for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Bayer Leverkusen at the WWK Arena. Harry Langer/dpa