Bayer Leverkusen missed a valuable opportunity to close the gap on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich after being held to a frustrating goalless draw by Union Berlin at the BayArena.
The defending champions, who welcomed back Florian Wirtz from injury, failed to capitalize on their dominance in possession and now risk falling further behind.
If Bayern secure victory over Borussia Dortmund later on Saturday, they will open up an eight-point lead at the top.
Despite enjoying a commanding 76.4% possession in the first half, Leverkusen managed just one shot on target, struggling to convert their control into clear-cut chances.
Wirtz’s return, introduced just before the hour mark, did little to ignite the home side’s attack, as Union Berlin stood firm defensively throughout the encounter.
Leverkusen came agonizingly close in stoppage time when Jonathan Tah had a golden chance to snatch a winner, but it wasn’t to be.
Alonso’s men were left ruing the missed opportunity to turn up the heat on Vincent Kompany’s Bayern.
Over the course of the game, Leverkusen maintained 74.6% possession and mustered only three shots on target, with a total expected goals (xG) value of just 0.55.
Union, for their part, held firm to claim a point, though they extended their unwanted record, failing to score in 12 of their 29 Bundesliga fixtures this season. Only St. Pauli have drawn more blanks (14) in the division.
There was a slice of history for Jonas Hofmann, who came off the bench to become the first player ever to avoid defeat in his first 40 Bundesliga matches, having won 30 and drawn 10.
