Leverkusen Title Dreams Slip Away After St. Pauli Draw as Bayern Close In

Leverkusen’s Title Chase Hits a Wall

There’s no sugarcoating it: Bayer Leverkusen’s hopes for back-to-back Bundesliga glory just took a crushing blow. When you’re eight points behind Bayern Munich with only four matchdays left, even the most optimistic fans sense the writing on the wall. That sense of inevitability hit hard after Leverkusen stumbled to a 1-1 draw with relegation-threatened St. Pauli at a rainy Millerntor on April 21, 2025.

It wasn’t supposed to go like this. Leverkusen came out firing, getting the opener they were desperate for. In the 32nd minute, Patrik Schick—Leverkusen’s rugged striker—rose highest to power home a header after Alex Grimaldo delivered a teasing free kick. It looked like they might finally shake off the nickname ‘Neverkusen’ that’s haunted them for years.

But costly mistakes have a way of haunting this club. In the 77th minute, Leverkusen’s normally reliable keeper, Lukas Hradecky, fumbled a straightforward corner. St. Pauli's Carlo Boukhalfa pounced, burying the ball and bringing the home crowd to their feet. Just minutes earlier, Morgan Guilavogui thought he’d put St. Pauli ahead, only for VAR to nix the goal on a close handball call.

You could see the wind go out of Leverkusen’s sails. Even with a late barrage of half-chances, they couldn’t find a winner. The final whistle left their players and staff staring at the turf. Coach Xabi Alonso, never one for empty rhetoric, summed up the mood: “The odds are low. We’ve drawn too many matches this season.” Schick was even blunter: “The opportunity is lost.”

Bayern Senses the Finish Line, Leverkusen Faces Uncertainty

There’s nothing left but math between Bayern and the title. With four games left, Bayern need just five points to officially clinch it—one more slip from Leverkusen, and it’s all over. For Xabi Alonso, the focus now drifts to maintaining professionalism, though you can bet rumors about his future—especially those swirling around Real Madrid—are louder than ever after this result.

Leverkusen’s second place in the table isn’t under threat, but for a team with title dreams, it’s small comfort. Fans can’t help but relive past heartbreaks—the 2002 collapse still hangs over the BayArena like a bad hangover. History repeats itself in cruel ways.

St. Pauli, meanwhile, doesn’t care about Leverkusen’s woes. With their own fight for survival, this gritty point pushes them a solid eight points clear of the relegation zone. Not bad for a team many had written off just weeks ago. Boukhalfa’s equalizer could be the moment that keeps them up for another season.

As Bayern Munich closes in on yet another championship, Leverkusen faces hard questions—on and off the pitch. The season’s closing act promises drama, just not the kind Leverkusen dreamed of in August.