Tennis Balls Disrupt Bundesliga As Bayer Leverkusen Moves 8 Points Clear At Top – News18

BERLIN: Tennis balls rained on the Bundesliga on Saturday as Bayer Leverkusen consolidated high spot by beating Heidenheim 2-1.

Jeremie Frimpong and Amine Adli scored for Xabi Alonso’s crew to maneuver eight factors away from Bayern Munich earlier than the defending champion’s match at Bochum on Sunday.

But none of Saturday’s video games escaped followers’ wrath with the German soccer league for its controversial plan to promote a stake within the Bundesliga’s media rights revenue to an out of doors investor.

Supporters threw tennis balls onto the sphere throughout 4 of the afternoon’s 5 video games, forcing interruptions and delays. The first half of Stuttgart’s recreation at Darmstadt took 70 minutes to finish as an alternative of the standard 45 plus stoppage time.

In Heidenheim, each units of followers used whistles to drown out the referee’s whistle on the sphere, whereas displaying large banners decrying the soccer league’s deliberate new investor deal.

In the second division earlier, two distant-managed automobiles carrying smoke bombs brought on a quick delay to Hamburger SV’s recreation at Rostock, which was delayed once more later when tennis balls have been thrown on the sphere.

The protests comply with related actions throughout Friday’s match and proceed the disruptions that additionally plagued final weekend’s video games.

DORTMUND DENIED

Borussia Dortmund was held by Wolfsburg to 1-1 for a consequence that suited neither crew.

The guests went forward early when Koen Casteel’s effort to clear Marco Reus’ cross rebounded in off Niclas Füllkrug’s shin.

Wolfsburg substitute Yannick Gerhardt equalized within the sixty fourth to earn them a degree, although it may not be sufficient for coach Niko Kovač to maintain his job.

Dortmund remained fourth however Leipzig might shut the 4-level hole later in opposition to visiting Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Dortmund was with out Sébastien Haller, who was given a hero’s reception on Thursday upon his return from serving to Ivory Coast win the Africa Cup of Nations. The membership mentioned on Friday that Haller returned with a re-incidence of the ankle damage that stored him out of Ivory Coast’s opening video games and he’ll stay out for “several weeks.”

AARONSON GRABS UNION WINNER

American midfielder Brenden Aaronson scored his first Bundesliga objective to fireside Union Berlin to a 1-0 win at Hoffenheim that lifted the capital membership to twelfth and eight factors above the relegation zone.

Yorbe Vertessen arrange fellow substitute Aaronson within the 84th.

The match was tormented by prolonged delays. Any time referee Robert Hartmann tried resuming the match, the tennis ball-throwing resumed, too. Some 12 minutes of stoppage time was added to the primary half when the sport resumed once more – sufficient for each groups to have a participant despatched off.

GUIRRASSY RESUMES SCORING

Stuttgart ahead Serhou Guirassy scored in his first begin since serving to Guinea attain the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup. His 18th objective in 16 Bundesliga appearances for Stuttgart helped the crew consolidate third place with a nasty-tempered 2-1 win at Darmstadt.

Also, struggling Mainz defeated Augsburg 1-0 in coach Bo Henriksen ’s debut. Henriksen is Mainz’s third coach of the season and the second Bo, after it began with Danish compatriot Bo Svensson.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)