Carlo Ancelotti, the Bayern Munich coach, admitted his side had an off-day in a 2-2 home draw against struggling Mainz which gave second-placed RB Leipzig a glimmer of hope.
The Bundesliga leaders twice had to come from behind to secure a point which extended their lead at the top to nine. Leipzig play Schalke on Sunday with the chance to cut that advantage to six with four games to play.
Arjen Robben and Thiago Alcantara, 17 minutes from time, both produced equalisers after the on-loan Stoke forward Bojan Krkic’s third-minute opener and then Daniel Brosinski’s penalty just before the break.
“We didn’t play well today. It was difficult for us,” Ancelotti told his post-match press conference. “It was hard but we expected more. We were not as compact as usual in the first half. We should have done better. In the second half we were more compact, we played better and were able to compensate.”
It was not the ideal preparation in the lead-up to Bayern’s midweek DFB Cup semi-final against Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena. The hosts lost the defender David Alaba to a capsular tear in his left knee in the first half and, although Ancelotti played down the injury, the Austria international is a doubt for the game on Wednesday.
“I’m confident that we will put in a very different performance against Dortmund,” the Italian said. In relation to Alaba’s availability, he added: “We’ll see on a day-to-day basis and decide whether he can play.”
The draw kept Mainz one point above the relegation zone and Martin Schmidt was more than happy. The coach said: “When you go to Munich you always feel that it is not going to be like other teams but still you must tell your team to play bravely. I seem to have found the right words for my team. This is not so easy. A point is definitely a great success.”
At the other end of the table, the bottom side Darmstadt dealt a blow to Hamburg’s survival hopes with a 2-1 win at their fellow strugglers. Two goals in as many minutes from Aytac Sulu and Felix Platte just after half-time put the visitors, themselves virtually condemned to relegation as they are 12 points from safety with four matches to play, ahead before Fabian Holland’s own goal offered consolation for Hamburg in the third minute of added time.
Ingolstadt are second-bottom and five points from safety after a 4-2 defeat at home against Werder Bremen, despite leading 2-1 with nine minutes to go. Max Kruse scored three times in the closing stages, to add to his penalty equaliser on the stroke of half-time. Dario Lezcano had given the hosts the lead and Pascal Gross restored their advantage in the 62nd minute only for Kruse to impressively turn things around.
Augsburg remain in the bottom three after a 3-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt, despite taking a ninth-minute lead through Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, as Marco Fabian (two) and Ante Rebic scored in the last 12 minutes for the hosts.
Wolfsburg are only a point above the relegation zone after losing 1-0 at Hertha Berlin courtesy of Vedad Ibisevic’s 59th-minute goal.
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