Karim Bellarabi scored a late equaliser to ensure that Bayer Leverkusen picked up a point in a dramatic 2-2 draw with SC Paderborn on Saturday afternoon.
It was cagey start to the game from both sides, with defenders dominating until the opening goal caused a change of approach.
Paderborn broke the deadlock in the 20th minute through Suleyman Koc, who picked out the bottom corner from just inside the box after Leverkusen failed to close him down.
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Leverkusen were forced onto the front foot by the goal, and were close to levelling the scores when Stefan Kiessling's effort was tipped onto the post by Lukas Kruse.
However, the equaliser did arrive before the interval when Lars Bender latched on to a loose ball in the box to power home.
Kruse was forced into action once again early in the second half to tip the ball over from Bellarabi's 25-yard strike.
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Leverkusen continued to look the most likely to find a winner for long periods, with Kiessling being denied by the in-form Kruse at the near post, and they were handed another boost when Marvin Bakalorz was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Wendell.
However, it looked like all three points would be going to Paderborn when Moritz Stoppelkamp weaved his way into the box before putting the visitors ahead in the 87th minute.
There would be one final twist, though, thanks to Bellarabi, who latched on to an inch-perfect pass from Robbie Kruse and hammered home the equaliser in the final minute of normal time.
Callum Mulvihill
