Bayer Leverkusen fell eight points adrift of Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich after a goalless draw at Wolfsburg on Saturday.
Bayern’s 3-0 victory over Werder Bremen on Friday, their seventh consecutive league win, increased the pressure on Xabi Alonso’s reigning champions, who host the leaders next Saturday.
Alonso fielded a weakened starting XI, resting Florian Wirtz, Patrik Schick and Jeremie Frimpong after their 120-minute German Cup triumph over Cologne on Tuesday.
Without their key trio, Leverkusen struggled to create chances. Nordi Mukiele squandered a golden opportunity in the 22nd minute, heading over from point-blank range.
Wirtz and Frimpong were introduced after 60 minutes, but despite dominating possession, the visitors failed to find a breakthrough.
Wirtz went down in the box with 13 minutes left following light contact, prompting a VAR review, but the referee dismissed the appeal.
The 21-year-old had one final chance to snatch victory in stoppage time but fired narrowly wide.
Leverkusen have now dropped four points in their last three league games, leaving their title defence in jeopardy.
Acknowledging the widening gap, captain Lukas Hradecky admitted: “Eight points is much bigger than it should be. This weekend hasn’t made our dream any easier.”
However, his manager remained composed: “I’m not overly concerned. We’ll regroup and prepare for Bayern at home. It’ll be a top game with a top atmosphere.”
Dortmund Suffer Defeat on Kovac’s Debut
Stuttgart climbed to fourth with a 2-1 win at Borussia Dortmund, spoiling Niko Kovac’s first game in charge.
Deniz Undav and Karim Adeyemi had early chances before former Stuttgart defender Waldemar Anton put the visitors ahead in the 50th minute.
Jeff Chabot doubled Stuttgart’s lead with a stunning volley just past the hour mark, before Julian Brandt’s late strike proved only a consolation.
Dortmund, now 11th, have lost to Stuttgart five times in a row.
Kovac, appointed this week following Nuri Sahin’s dismissal, praised his players: “The boys gave everything—we shouldn’t have lost. Poor decisions cost us.”
Elsewhere, Freiburg moved up to sixth with a 1-0 win over Heidenheim, courtesy of a Vincenzo Grifo header.
Union Berlin secured a vital 4-0 victory at Hoffenheim to pull further clear of the relegation zone, with Benedict Hollerbach netting twice.
Mainz and Augsburg played out a goalless draw, while Borussia Moenchengladbach hosted third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt in the day’s final fixture.