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Leipzig held in Augsburg after Openda misses penalty / Photo: MICHAELA STACHE - AFP
Leipzig held in Augsburg after Openda misses penalty
RB Leipzig's hopes of closing in on the Champions League places suffered a blow on Saturday, with striker Lois Openda missing a late penalty in a 2-2 draw at Augsburg.
Openda stepped up to the spot with eight minutes remaining but Augsburg goalkeeper Finn Dahmen, who gave away the penalty, redeemed himself by diving to his left and saving the attempt.
Leipzig came into the match under pressure of losing touch with the top four after Borussia Dortmund's 3-0 win over Freiburg on Friday.
Augsburg's Phillip Tietz gave the home side the lead late in the first half with a clean volley but Openda headed Leipzig level shortly after, his 15th goal of the season.
Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko produced a carbon copy of Openda's header to put Leipzig ahead but Ermedin Demirovic pulled Augsburg back on level terms, blasting in with 30 minutes remaining.
Openda then had the chance to win it for Leipzig, but his spot-kick was kept out by Dahmen, who has stopped four of the 12 Bundesliga penalties he has faced.
Leipzig, who were six points clear of Dortmund at the winter break, now sit three behind having won just one in five since Christmas.
In a Saturday marked by protests against the German FA's decision to pursue foreign investment in the league, several games experienced long delays as fans threw tennis balls and foil-wrapped coins onto the pitch.
Union Berlin won 1-0 at home to Wolfsburg in a match delayed by almost an hour due to protests, Danilho Doekhi heading in the only goal in the 25th minute of first-half injury time.
Borussia Moenchengladbach drew 0-0 at home with lowly Darmstadt in another heavily-delayed match.
Eintracht Frankfurt missed a clear chance to consolidate a European spot, drawing 1-1 at home to Bochum and will finish the weekend in sixth.
Promoted Heidenheim continued their excellent recent form, winning 2-1 at Werder Bremen.
Playing their first season in the top flight, Heidenheim moved into eighth place and have now not lost since early December.
In Saturday's late game, second-placed Bayern Munich travel to league leaders Bayer Leverkusen, hoping to inflict a first loss of the season on Xabi Alonso's side, who are unbeaten in 30 games in all competitions.
Leverkusen, who have never won the Bundesliga despite finishing second on five occasions, can go five points clear by beating Bayern.
X.Boucher--SMC
