Bayern Munich's advantage at the top of the Bundesliga was reduced to three points on Friday after Bayer Leverkusen defeated Bochum 3-1 at home thanks to goals from Aleix Garcia, Victor Boniface, and Amine Adli. Leverkusen, the reigning champions, controlled the ball and spent most of the game huddled close to Bochum's goal, but they were unable to create clear opportunities until the very end. Halfway through the first half, Aleix Garcia curled in a shot from just beyond the area to give Leverkusen the lead.
Soon after Granit Xhaka made a defensive error, Bochum responded with a stunning strike of their own from Felix Passlack. As the game progressed, Leverkusen's anxiety seemed to increase until Boniface, who had not started since early February, gave them the lead again with a close-range tap-in at the 60-minute mark. In the 87th minute, Adli, who had replaced Patrik Schick, scored a third goal to complete the win and increase the pressure on Bayern, who will play St Pauli on Saturday.