Wasteful Leverkusen loses ground in Stuttgart draw
Bayer Leverkusen missed the chance to close the gap at the Bundesliga summit after a wasteful display saw it draw 0-0 with Stuttgart.
Leverkusen remains third on the standings, four points behind RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich, which play Borussia Dortmund and Union Berlin respectively on Sunday (AEDT).
Xabi Alonso's side dominated proceedings from the first whistle, registering 10 attempts in the first half, but only three were on Alexander Nubel's goal.
It came closest to breaking the deadlock five minutes before the break when Edmond Tapsoba rattled the crossbar with a thumping header.
Leverkusen struck the woodwork again shortly after the restart, this time through Victor Boniface, as the Stuttgart net continued to live a charmed life at BayArena.
Boniface was then denied by a miraculous save by Nubel in the 73rd minute, before the visiting goalkeeper denied Florian Wirtz to seal a share of the spoils for Stuttgart.
The result could prove pivotal in Leverkusen's attempts to defend its league title.
But Alonso believes his side delivered its most complete performance yet, despite the stalemate.
"We are unhappy. We thought we had done enough to win it," Alonso said. "We pressed well. Our players showed a lot of energy to press a lot.
"We created a lot of chances in the first half. But we also had chances in the second half.
"Maybe the most complete performance from us even though we did not score. It was a top game.
"From Monday we focus on Liverpool. A big game, to play in Anfield," the former Reds favourite said.
Alonso's side has now won only one of its past five league games on the road, drawing the other four.
"It is still early in the season," Alonso said when asked about the growing gap with the league leaders, with Eintracht Frankfurt leapfrogging the defending champion into third after its 7-2 thrashing of Bochum.
"There are enough games. We want to keep going."
