Leverkusen win to extend lead at top amid more tennis ball chaos

Unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen went eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday after a 2-1 win at Heidenheim while four other games in the German top flight were again interrupted by fan protests.

Right wingback Jeremie Frimpong netted with his left foot on the break and Amine Adli rounded the goalkeeper to boost Leverkusen ahead of second-placed Bayern Munich going to Bochum on Sunday.

The win was a 32nd game unbeaten in all competitions, equalling an old German record held by Bayern.

"It's a very important win for us," coach Xabi Alonso told a news conference. "Winning here is never easy, but the team went about it professionally. We did well with what we prepared and discussed. Overall, I'm pleased with the performance and the result."

Leverkusen beat champions Bayern 3-0 last weekend as they target a first ever Bundesliga title.

Alonso's side have been one of the stories of the season, but so have frequent fan protests against the German Football League (DFL) seeking an external marketing investor for the top-two tiers.

Supporters again threw tennis balls onto the pitch at various points of Borussia Dortmund's 1-1 draw at Wolfsburg, VfB Stuttgart's 2-1 victory at bottom side Darmstadt, Union Berlin's 1-0 triumph at Hoffenheim and Mainz's 1-0 success over Augsburg.

The games were all interrupted, with players having to go back into the dressing room at times to wait for the supporters to calm down.

The protests have been going on for weeks, with fans hoping to halt the DFL plans as they believe the league is trying to put profit over supporters and tradition.

The only game not to have demonstrations was fifth-placed RB Leipzig's 2-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach in the late game.

Dutch star Xavi Simons cushioned the ball on his thigh before firing home a brilliant volley to help give the hosts only a second win in seven in all competitions. Loïs Openda made it 2-0 on 57 minutes.

Leipzig's controversial history, a medical emergency in the stands and a Gladbach fan dying in a car crash meant there were no protests.

There were demonstrations at Heidenheim, but only in the stands using placards, chants and whistles, so the game was not disrupted.

Leverkusen's Frimpong finished off a flowing move via a deflection just before the break.

Adli then struck in the second half shortly after Florian Wirtz had hit the bar on Alonso's 500th day in charge of a side whom he took over near the bottom of the standings.

Set-piece kings Heidenheim pulled one back with four minutes to go through Tim Kleindienst but the leaders hung on.

It was Leverkusen's 18th win from 22 games. Bayern - champions for the last 11 seasons - also play their 22nd match of the league campaign on Sunday against a Bochum side who are strong at home. Freiburg also host Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

Stuttgart remain third, four points behind Bayern, after Serhou Guirassy headed in off the bar early in Darmstadt on his first start since the African Nations Cup.

The Guinea striker now has 18 Bundesliga goals while Mahmoud Dahoud made the game safe late on before Aaron Seydel's consolation.

Darmstadt are 10 points from absolute safety despite Stuttgart being down to 10 men for a half after Pascal Stenzel's second yellow card.

Fourth-placed Dortmund, now only a point above Leipzig, slipped up again after Wolfsburg's Yannick Gerhardt equalized with a header following a scramble after Niclas Füllkrug's early opener.

Dortmund captain Emre Can told Sky: "Football wouldn't be what it is without fans, everyone knows that. But...we're really suffering due to the protests, losing our rhythm. I hope it comes to an end soon."

Union edged further away from the drop zone after substitute Brenden Aaronson scored his first of the campaign late on at Hoffenheim.

The supporter protests clearly affected the players, with tensions leading to Stanley Nsoki and Kevin Volland, harshly, both being dismissed for second bookings for either side.

New Mainz coach Bo Henriksen celebrated his first game in charge with a battling win over Augsburg, coached by his fellow Dane Jess Thorup.

Sepp van den Berg made the difference in the first half and Augsburg's Mads Pedersen, also a Dane, was sent off on 90 minutes.

A mass brawl between fans before kick-off also marred the matchday.