Bayer Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart Play to a Thrilling Draw

Match Highlights

Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart played out an entertaining 1-1 draw at the BayArena on Saturday afternoon, extending Leverkusen's winless run in the Bundesliga to three matches.

The visitors took the lead against the run of play in the 27th minute when Naouirou Ahamada's shot deflected off Piero Hincapie and past Lukas Hradecky.

Leverkusen responded well to the setback and equalized just four minutes later through Moussa Diaby, who slotted home from close range after a neat assist from Jeremie Frimpong.

Second Half Action

Leverkusen dominated possession in the second half but struggled to create clear-cut chances against a well-organized Stuttgart defense.

The best opportunity for the hosts came in the 75th minute when Patrik Schick's header was brilliantly saved by Florian Müller.

Stuttgart, despite being limited to just 29% of the possession, looked dangerous on the counterattack and could have snatched all three points in the dying minutes.

Missed Opportunities

Both teams will feel they missed an opportunity to claim all three points. Leverkusen had the better of the chances but lacked the clinical edge in front of goal, while Stuttgart failed to make the most of their counterattacking opportunities.

Manager Quotes

Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso expressed his frustration with the result, saying: "We deserved to win, but we were not clinical enough in front of goal. We need to improve our finishing if we want to start winning matches again."

VfB Stuttgart manager Bruno Labbadia was happy with his team's performance and resilience, saying: "We showed great character today. We defended well and took our chances when they came. We're happy with the point."

Conclusion

The draw leaves Leverkusen in 10th place in the Bundesliga, while Stuttgart remains in 15th place. Both teams will be looking to improve their results when they return to action next week.