Bayern Munich dropped points for the second consecutive Bundesliga match as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Union Berlin on Saturday, March 15, 2025, allowing defending champions Bayer Leverkusen the opportunity to close the gap in the title race.
Having suffered a shock home defeat to Bochum last week, Bayern struggled to break down Union’s disciplined defense. A win for Leverkusen against Stuttgart on Sunday could reduce Bayern’s lead to just six points. Despite dominating possession, Bayern found it difficult to create clear chances throughout the match.
One of Bayern's best opportunities came early on when Harry Kane struck a free-kick through the Union Berlin wall, only to be denied by goalkeeper Frederik Ronnow. The breakthrough for Bayern finally came when Leroy Sane scored in the 75th minute, weaving through the crowded penalty area to convert from close range, thanks to an assist from Josip Stanisic.
Just eight minutes later, Union responded as Benedict Hollerbach capitalized on a costly error from Bayern’s rookie goalkeeper Jonas Urbig, who failed to properly handle a cross, allowing Hollerbach to volley home and equalize for Union Berlin.
Union Berlin pushed hard for their first-ever victory against Bayern, especially during the closing stages. They have continued to present formidable opposition at home, with major Bundesliga teams like Dortmund, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Mainz, Freiburg, and now Bayern failing to claim victory at Berlin's Stadion An der Alten Försterei this season.
All the excitement of the Bundesliga weekend was not limited to Bayern versus Union. Elsewhere, Mainz faced Freiburg, resulting in a thrilling 2-2 draw. Mainz played most of the game with 10 men after Dominik Kohr received a red card just before halftime. Despite this, they twice took the lead, but Freiburg equalized on both occasions. The result keeps Mainz securely in third place, highlighting their ambitions for their first-ever Champions League appearance.
Meanwhile, Borussia Moenchengladbach boosted their European hopes significantly with a 4-2 victory over Werder Bremen. The match featured sensational play from Alassane Plea, who scored a hat trick to lead his team to victory. His early goals set the tone for what looked like Gladbach's ascendancy, even as Bremen fought back briefly with goals from Romano Schmid and Andre Silva before Plea struck again.
Augsburg also remained unbeaten, extending their run to 10 league matches with a 1-0 home win over Wolfsburg—their defense has been rock solid with only three goals conceded throughout 2025, the best record among Europe’s top five leagues.
Looking forward, the Bundesliga action continues with RB Leipzig hosting Borussia Dortmund, another clash likely to have significant ramifications for Champions League qualification. Fans will be eager to see how these teams respond after the weekend’s matches.
The draw leaves Bayern's lead at the top of the league at eight points as they manage to hold off their rivals for now, but with the season still underway, the pressure will lie heavily on coach Thomas Tuchel and his players to regain momentum.
Despite the disappointment of dropping two points, Bayern Munich fans can look at the silver lining: Sane’s performance continues to be a bright spot this season, as he netted his seventh league goal of the campaign, helping reinforce his importance to the team. Manager Tuchel will hope the rest of the squad rallies around him as they prepare for upcoming challengers.