USMNT midfielder Malik Tillman found the net as Bayer Leverkusen battled Borussia Monchengladbach to a 1-1 draw in a Bundesliga clash on Sunday. The former PSV man broke open an otherwise drab affair with a tidy finish inside the box after 70 minutes. Fellow midfielder Gio Reyna came off the bench for Gladbach but was largely ineffective.
Getty Images SportTillman breaks open the game
It seemed that Monchengladbach and Leverkusen were heading for a scoreless draw until Tillman broke the game open in the 70th minute. The U.S. midfielder needed a stroke of luck to score, but did so all the same.
Striker Patrick Schick fluffed his lines inside the box, and the ball fell kindly to Tillman, who sent it home via the thigh of an opposing defender. It was his second Bundesliga goal for his new club.
AdvertisementLeverkusen throws away a late lead
It seemed that would be enough for Leverkusen, who defended admirably after going ahead. However, they let the 1-0 lead slip late.
Veteran striker Haris Tabakovic was allowed to ghost into the box late on, and nodded home a corner in the 92nd minute to grab an equalizer that wasn't quite deserved. Still, Leverkusen fell asleep, and failed to track the big Bosnian .
Getty Images SportReyna nothing more than late sub
After starting last week – and appearing to gain the trust of former manager Gerardo Seoane – Reyna had few opportunities under interim boss Eugen Polanski. The former Hoffenheim head coach left Reyna on the bench, and granted him just 10 minutes of action.
Draw in battle of new managers
Both sides will likely take the point after a tense clash. Leverkusen made headlines two weeks ago when they elected to fire former Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag after less than two months in charge. Monchengladbach followed suit soon after by letting Seoane go after just three games.
Leverkusen's fixture list gets slightly easier, with St. Pauli, Union Berlin and Mainz all to come in the Bundesliga. Monchengladbach's slate is less kind. They play surprise Champions League contenders Frankfurt next week.