Leverkusen beat Bochum 3-1 to close in on Bundesliga leaders Bayern

Champions Bayer Leverkusen defeated lowly Bochum 3-1 on Friday to spice up the Bundesliga title race by drawing within three points of leaders Bayern Munich, reported dpa.

Aleix Garcia opened the scoring 20 minutes into the game. Bochum were level six minutes later from Felix Passlack's blast into the top left corner, but Victor Boniface tapped home on the hour for 2-1 and Amine Adli wrapped up matters in the 87th.

Leverkusen closed the gap on Munich for at least one night as Bayern can go six points clear again with victory over St Pauli on Saturday.

Bochum, who had won 3-2 in Munich in their last away game, remain third last in the relegation play-off spot.

"We are happy to get the three points and make a statement of intent," Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah told streaming portal DAZN.

Leverkusen started strongly into their bid to put pressure on Bayern and Jeremie Frimpong had a first effort saved by goialkeeper Timo Horn.

Bochum did not sit back and Leverkusen escaped a scare when no penalty was given after contact between their forward Victor Boniface and Passlack.

Leverkusen eventually took the lead when Exequiel Palacios found Garcia to curl home into the right corner.

The joy did not last long as Passlack fired the equalizer after Hradecky had saved a first effort from Georgios Masoulas after an ill-timed back header from playmaker Granit Xhaka.

Bochum remained a threat but Leverkusen restored the lead when a free-kick from the right by Garcia was headed back across the goalmouth by Piero Hincapie for Boniface to tap home for 2-1.

Frimpong should have wrapped up matters on the counter in the 77th but aimed wide left, a second goal from Boniface three minutes later was nullified for offisde in the build-up, but there was nothing wrong when Adli found the bottom left corner with three minutes left.