HEIDENHEIM, Germany (AP) — Emiliano Buendia's stoppage-time winner against Heidenheim boosted Bayer Leverkusen's faint hopes of defending the Bundesliga title on Saturday.
Four days after a shock German Cup semifinal loss to third-division Arminia Bielefeld, Leverkusen created few meaningful chances until substitute Buendia curled a shot from outside the penalty area in off the post in the 1-0 win.
Leverkusen restored a six-point gap to league leader Bayern Munich, which beat Augsburg 3-1 on Friday. Six games remain.
Last-minute goals were a headline feature of Leverkusen’s Bundesliga-winning campaign last season, but a team once viewed as near unbeatable was largely second best to 16th-placed Heidenheim. At times, Leverkusen seemed headed for what would have been a fifth loss in seven games across competitions.
Chukwuemeka ends long wait for a goal
Carney Chukwuemeka got his first start and first goal since joining Borussia Dortmund on loan from Chelsea as Freiburg was beaten 4-1.
After Karim Adeyemi's goal gave Dortmund the lead, Chukwuemeka hit a shot which took a deflection off a defender and looped over the goalkeeper.
After injuries disrupted Chukwuemeka's development at Chelsea, the goal was his first in any competition for over a year.
Serhou Guirassy and Jamie Gittens also scored in what was one of Dortmund’s most commanding performances since Niko Kovac took over as coach just over two months ago.
Dortmund is up to eighth in the Bundesliga standings — one place behind Freiburg and four points off the Champions League places — ahead of its Champions League quarterfinal with Barcelona on Wednesday.
New Leipzig coach gets a win
After a German Cup semifinal loss in his first game, Zsolt Low got his first win as the Leipzig coach, 3-1 over Hoffenheim.
Initially, it seemed Low's Leipzig was heading for another loss when a blunder by goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi allowed Tom Bischof to score the opening goal for Hoffenheim. However, Benjamin Sesko headed Leipzig level then a red card for Hoffenheim defender Leo Ostigard put Leipzig in control.
Ridle Baku gave Leipzig the lead just before halftime and Yussuf Poulsen made it 3-1 late.
Werder Bremen surprised Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 with a first-half header from Oliver Burke and a late goal from Romano Schmid to seal the win.
Ahead of its Europa League quarterfinal with Tottenham on Thursday, Frankfurt's fourth loss in its last six Bundesliga games means it stays third, a distant 20 points off Bayern. Bremen was 10th.
Ermedin Demirovic scored a hat trick as Stuttgart swept aside relegation-threatened Bochum 4-0. Mainz hit a setback in its bid to qualify for the Champions League, drawing with last-placed Holstein Kiel 1-1.
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The Associated Press
