Leverkusen grab late equaliser at Augsburg after Lomb's howler

Pulse News Agency International by AFP

February 21, 2021 3:07 PM

Hosts Augsburg were denied a first win over Bayer Leverkusen at the 20th attempt by a last-gasp equaliser from Burkina Faso defender Edmond Tapsoba as the visitors' snatched a 1-1 draw on Sunday in the Bundesliga.

Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba celebrates after scoring their last-gasp equaliser at Augsburg on Sunday

Augsburg were 1-0 up at home deep into added time at home when Leverkusen defender Tapsoba was left unmarked to convert a cross seconds before the whistle.

The late equaliser was necessary because Leverkusen's back-up goalkeeper Niklas Lomb had gifted Augsburg an early freak goal.

Five minutes into his first league start this season, Lomb completely mistimed his clearance kick.

the ball rolled to Augsburg striker Florian Niederlechner, who tapped the ball into the empty net.

The early blow rattled Leverkusen who struggled to impose themselves until Tapsoba's late equaliser.

With Augsburg gaining in confidence, Niederlechner briefly won a penalty just after the break following a tap on his ankle from Leverkusen's ex-Manchester United defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah.

However, the VAR spotted Augsburg winger Ruben Vargas offside in the build up and the spot kick was reversed.

With time running out, Leverkusen equalised just before the final whistle when former Leicester City winger Demarai Gray whipped in a corner which Tapsoba drilled home.

After losing six of their nine league games since the start of the year, the result leaves Augsburg in 13th place.

The rescued point leaves Leverkusen fifth in the table, 12 points behind leaders Bayern Munich, who crashed to a 2-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

Bayern's lead at the top can be cut to two points if second-placed RB Leipzig win at Hertha Berlin later on Sunday.

ryj/pb

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Pulse News Agency International by AFP