Bayer Leverkusen struggled to break down a resolute Augsburg side at home but managed to come away with a 2-1 victory and move into second place in the table.
Of course, it was Stefan Kießling that put Leverkusen up first. The forward won a free kick down the right side. Gonzalo Castro whipped in the free kick, and Kießling knocked his diving header past Alexander Manninger for the 1-0 lead. The goal was his 15th of the season.
Leverkusen finally doubled their lead in the 75th minute. Andre Schürrle cracked a hard shot on goal, but Manninger managed to block. Lars Bender was on hand to get the rebound and score to make it 2-0 for the hosts.
Augsburg decided they weren't going down without a fight, and the Bavarian side pulled one back in the dying minutes of the match. André Hahn sent in a low cross to the near post, and Sacha Mölders was the first to the ball. His shot beat Bernd Leno to the top corner and into the back of the net.
Leverkusen held on for the win and will keep their eye on the Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt match later. Unless BVB come away with a victory, Leverkusen will remain in second place.
