DORTMUND: Former Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah scored with two minutes remaining to snatch Bayer Leverkusen a 1-1 home draw with lowly Mainz in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Leverkusen trailed after an excellent Sheraldo Becker goal but Quansah squeezed the ball in at the near post late on.

The point moved Leverkusen, who have a game in hand to be played at Hamburg on Wednesday, three behind fourth-placed VfB Stuttgart.

Leverkusen looked leggy after a hard-fought scoreless Champions League draw with Olympiacos midweek, which sent them through to the last 16 where they will face Arsenal.

Moments before half-time, Leverkusen right-back Arthur was stretchered off with a serious knee injury.

Elsewhere, Hoffenheim’s recent struggles continued with a 1-0 home loss to St Pauli on Saturday, with Mathias Pereira Lage’s goal just before half-time the difference.

Hoffenheim came close to a first-ever relegation last season. They seemed to have turned things around this campaign, climbing to third spot, but have picked up just four points in their past four games.

Pauli have won three of their past four to climb out of the relegation spots.

Meanwhile, Borussia Moenchengladbach’s Kevin Diks converted a penalty four minutes into stoppage time to take his side to a crucial 1-0 win over Union Berlin.

Gladbach’s first win since early January took them three points clear of the relegation playoff spot.

Fellow battlers Werder Bremen also picked up a crucial victory, winning 2-0 at home to last-placed Heidenheim to move out of the automatic relegation placings.

Double winners in 2004, Bremen had picked up just four points in 13 games since their last win in early November, but won thanks to a Jovan Milosevic strike and a late Heidenheim own goal.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2026