Bremen goes top after 2-2 draw with Wolfsburg

Werder Bremen scored a stoppage-time goal from defender Per Mertesacker to draw 2-2 with champions VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday and go top of the German first division soccer league on goal difference.

Wolfsburg looked set to win the match while leading 2-1 with just five minutes from time but Mertesacker rose above the Wolfsburg defense in stoppage time to head in the equalizer from a Mesut Ozil corner.

Bremen, who are now unbeaten for 21 consecutive matches in all competitions, have 27 points, the same as Bayer Leverkusen, who can reclaim the top spot with a win against VfB Stuttgart on Sunday.

Schalke 04, third on 25 points, missed the chance to go top when they lost 1-0 at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Hamburg failed to close in on the leaders when Mainz earned a 1-1 draw with an 84th minute goal from Tim Hoogland. Hamburg are in fourth place on 24 points.

Hoffenheim are fifth, a point behind, after losing to visitors Borussia Dortmund 2-1 with a 79th-minute penalty from Nuri Sahin.

Elsewhere, Hertha lost to Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 while Nuremburg lost to Freiburg 1-0.

Source: Xinhua