Heidenheim held late on by Bayern, heated dispute for top-four
Injury-time goals from Michael Olise and Tiago Tomás handed Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart 3-3 draws on Saturday in results which could have big impacts on both ends of the Bundesliga. Bottom side Heidenheim's hopes of a miraculous survival were hit by a late leveller at already-crowned champions Bayern, while 10-man Stuttgart snatched a point at Hoffenheim in a key clash in the race for the Champions League. Bayer Leverkusen, meanwhile, entered the top-four, which secures Champions League qualification, after a 4-1 win over third-placed RB Leipzig.
Fourth-placed Leverkusen, fifth-placed Stuttgart and sixth-placed Hoffeheim are all tied on 58 points. Hoffenheim led 3-2 thanks to Andrej Kramarić's double - on the day of his contract extension - and Bazoumana Toure's strike. Chris Führich and Ermedin Demirović both exposed Germany goalkeeper Oliver Baumann at his near post for Stuttgart's first two goals, but their chances looked to have ended when captain Atakan Karazor was sent off for a bad tackle on 69 minutes.
However, a late tap-in from Tomás meant Stuttgart stayed above their regional rivals on goal difference with two games to play. "We were very immature, showed inexperience. We had time, we had space, we could have seen out the win," Hoffenheim record scorer Kramarić, who moved onto 158 goals, told Sky.
Germany looks set to have four places in next season's Champions League but could boast five - depending on the outcome of the European semi-final second legs in midweek. Bayern, who wrapped up the Bundesliga title last month, will go into Wednesday's Champions League second leg at home to Paris Saint-Germain following another comeback. The 5-4 first leg loss in France was arguably the game of the season in Europe and ahead of Wednesday's home leg, Bayern again rested several stars in the first half against Heidenheim, including Harry Kane and Olise.
The bottom side have rallied in the last few weeks having looked doomed and continued the trend early on at the Allianz Arena. Budu Zivzivadze scored for a fourth straight game with a fine finish after the ball fell over his head and Eren Dinkçi, who has asked fans to donate stem cells for his sick partner, netted the second before the break. Eta's first point, Frankfurt boss booed Bayern were 3-0 down at half-time last weekend at Mainz after fielding a second-string side, but then the Kane-Olise cavalry came on and the Bavarians won 4-3.