Defensive Bayern hold Leverkusen to 0-0 draw, Dortmund lose again

Bayern Munich withstood a strong Bayer Leverkusen charge to come away with a 0-0 draw and keep their eight-point advantage at the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Second-placed Leverkusen, who ended Bayern's 11-year reign as champions last term, twice hit the bar in the first half through Jeremie Frimpong and Nathan Tella.

It was the first time Bayern had failed to muster a shot in one Bundesliga half since records began.

Tella twice went close after the break and Manuel Neuer made a good save from Amine Adli as the visitors hung on to edge nearer to a 34th German title after 22 of 34 games.

Leverkusen's Granit Xhaka told Sky: "I can't even remember Bayern having a chance. It is disappointing, we gave everything and we really deserved to win the game. Even without a main striker, we had lots of opportunities."

Leverkusen visit bottom side Holstein Kiel next weekend when Bayern host Eintracht Frankfurt - after welcoming Celtic in the Champions League last 16 play-off second leg in midweek.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany sprang a surprise for the big clash in Leverkusen by handing defender Hiroki Ito his Bundesliga debut and first Bayern start after a broken foot.

Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso, who starred as a Bayern player, meanwhile made five changes and did not start with a recognized striker - leaving Victor Boniface and Patrik Schick unexpectedly on the bench.

Leverkusen bossed this fixture last season to prove their title tilt was for real and did so again.

Florian Wirtz, fit after illness and a Bayern target, wriggled through their defence and was denied by Neuer, with Frimpong heading the rebound off the woodwork.

Soon afterwards, Tella fired against the bar from close range.

The Nigeria winger also hooked wide after the break and had a header cleared off the line. Leverkusen fans might wonder if Schick or Boniface would have scored the chances. Only Schick entered the fray and that was in stoppage time.

After Neuer kept out Adli from close in, Wirtz shot wide in Leverkusen's latest and last chance as they drew 0-0 for the second straight weekend.

Bayern's Jamal Musiala - who signed a big contract on Friday - was largely a bystander as was Harry Kane, who took a big blow to his cheek before the break.

Bayern captain Neuer said: "We are happy with the result, let's just say that. We didn't created much and Leverkusen had a good day. But we are going away with a point, even if it was maybe a bit lucky."

New Dortmund doom

Beleaguered Borussia Dortmund earlier suffered another Bundesliga defeat when they lost 2-0 at lowly Bochum as Georgios Masouras scored both goals.

The 11th-placed Black and Yellows underlined how far they have fallen behind Leverkusen and Bayern.

New Dortmund coach Niko Kovac oversaw a 2-1 defeat at home to VfB Stuttgart in his first match in charge last week before winning 3-0 at Sporting in the Champions League in midweek.

Last season's Champions League runners-up reverted to their domestic form at Bochum, who edged off the bottom as Dortmund's poor Bundesliga run extended to one win in seven games.

"We must be annoyed with ourselves and are sad about losing," said Kovac, whose side now have more losses than wins in the Bundesliga this term (9-8).

Bochum were helped by dreadful Dortmund defending for Masouras' second on 35 minutes, with Niklas Süle's back-pass going straight to the winger, shortly after he had slid in the first.

A Philipp Treu own goal gave fifth-placed Freiburg a late 1-0 win at St Pauli.

Freiburg leapfrogged VfB Stuttgart, who lost 2-1 late on at home to Wolfsburg in eighth.

Borussia Mönchengladbach's 2-1 win at Union Berlin sent the Foals up to seventh and left the Berliners 13th.

On Friday, RB Leipzig, in fourth, drew 0-0 at midtable Augsburg.