Leverkusen blows lead twice in Bremen draw
Werder Bremen twice came back from behind to draw 2-2 with Bayer Leverkusen as Xabi Alonso's side continued to splutter in its defence of the Bundesliga title.
Leverkusen conceded a 90th-minute equaliser as Bremen stole a point and forced its visitors to settle for a third draw in its past five matches.
Victor Boniface, playing with a bandaged hand after his car crash in the week, flicked in a Jeremie Frimpong cutback in the 30th minute to put Leverkusen in the driving seat.
Boniface, who has now scored six league goals this season, had a chance to add another on the hour but Bremen goalkeeper Michael Zetterer pulled off a stunning save.
Instead, it was Bremen that scored with Marvin Ducksch's powerful header in the 74th minute to level.
Home fans' joy lasted just three minutes, though, as Felix Agu, under pressure, spectacularly miskicked for an own goal.
Bremen, however, came back again, and Romano Schmid fired in a 90th-minute equaliser to snatch a point.
Leverkusen is third on 15 points, two behind second-placed Bayern Munich and five behind leader RB Leipzig.
Alonso said his side was made to pay for "soft" defending against Bremen.
"The fact that Werder could come back was down to both sides," Alonso said. "We were too soft in defending and they used their chances.
"We can and must defend better. At the moment we are missing a bit of stability. When we win it back then we will improve.
"At the end of the day we cannot be satisfied having twice wasted a lead.
"It is not the first time this has happened to us this season. There are things we need to correct."
Leverkusen also drew 1-1 at Brest in the UEFA Champions League last week.
"This feels like crap," central defender Jonathan Tah said. "Like a defeat. We just have to keep defending until the last second.
"The goals we let in were frustrating. I feel responsible. But we will get the chance to silence those talking about us now."
