Defending champions Bayer Leverkusen saw their faint hopes of retaining the Bundesliga crown fade further after being held to a 1-1 draw against St Pauli on Sunday.
The result leaves them eight points adrift of league leaders Bayern Munich, with only four games left in the season.
Leverkusen, who stormed to a historic unbeaten double last season by winning both the league and cup, took the lead in the 33rd minute when Patrik Schick nodded in a well-delivered free kick from Alex Grimaldo, marking his 18th league goal of the campaign.
Despite the return of star midfielder Florian Wirtz, starting for the first time since an ankle injury sidelined him in early March, Leverkusen failed to extend their advantage.
The hosts slowly grew into the game, holding Leverkusen at bay and eventually found a way back in the 78th minute. A mishandled free kick by Leverkusen keeper Lukas Hradecky fell kindly for Carlo Boukhalfa, who slotted home from close range.
Reflecting on the match and the title race, coach Xabi Alonso acknowledged the uphill task now facing his side, “Clearly, mathematically it is not over but we know there are very, very few chances,” he said during the post-match press conference.
“Too many draws this season. That is the reason. Now the gap to Bayern is too big. But we have to be realistic. It is not all over yet. This is not the end of the season yet.”
Alonso admitted his side lacked the cutting edge in the final third. “In the second half St Pauli upped the pressure and we did not find that last pass to score a second goal,” he said. “Then we conceded the goal and it is just not enough for us. This is the way it is.”
While the dropped points were disappointing, Leverkusen maintained their remarkable unbeaten Bundesliga away streak, which now stands at 32 matches, just one shy of Bayern Munich’s all-time record.
