BERLIN (AP) — Harry Kane had just arrived on the touchline to start celebrating his first career title.
Then Yussuf Poulsen scored for Leipzig to draw with Bayern Munich 3-3 and postpone the Bundesliga leader’s party on Saturday.
The last kick of the game in the fourth minute of stoppage time cut Bayern's celebrations short.
“I fully feel like a champion, just we're not yet,” Bayern veteran Thomas Müller said.
Bayern is all but certain to win the championship. Bayer Leverkusen can still mathematically catch the Bavarian powerhouse and defend its title by winning its remaining three games while making up a goal difference of 30 goals — if Bayern loses its final two matches.
Kane has been forced to wait for a first major trophy after a career of near-misses and disappointments. The 31-year-old Bayern star had to watch his teammates play without him against Leipzig because of an accumulation of yellow cards.
Leipzig made the better start and deservedly led at halftime thanks to goals from Benjamin Šeško and Lukas Klostermann, leaving the suspended Kane sitting stone-faced in the stands.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany evidently found the right words during the break.
Kane’s compatriot Eric Dier pulled one back with a header to Michael Olise’s corner in the 62nd, and Olise equalized a minute later after the home team’s sloppy play from the restart.
Leipzig goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt denied Leroy Sané and Leon Goretzka, and Konrad Laimer headed over against his former side, before Sané finally made Bayern's chances count with a fierce shot inside the far post in the 83rd.
Bayern fans set off fireworks as they celebrated and Kane was ready to run onto the field to join his teammates until Xavi sent Poulsen through for the final say.
“We’re almost champions,” Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund said after what he described as “a spectacle.”
Bayern might have to wait only a day when Leverkusen plays at Freiburg on Sunday.
Dortmund pushing for Champions League
Serhou Guirassy and Karim Adeyemi both scored twice and Borussia Dortmund’s late-season revival under new coach Niko Kovač continued with a 4-0 win over Wolfsburg.
Guirassy got the home team off the mark in the third minute and took his season tally to 19 in the 59th. Only Kane has more in the Bundesliga, though nine of his 24 goals were penalties. Only Leverkusen’s Patrick Schick has scored more from play (19) than Guirassy (17).
The Guinea star’s second goal settled his team. Adeyemi duly scored Dortmund’s third in the 69th and grabbed another four minutes later
Dortmund's fourth straight win across all competitions lifted the team to fourth place, the last for Champions League qualification. Freiburg will hope to reclaim it on Sunday.
Other results
There was another spectacle at Borussia Mönchengladbach where Hoffenheim drew 4-4, Union Berlin came from two goals down to draw with Werder Bremen 2-2, and Stuttgart won at St. Pauli 1-0 thanks to a late goal from Nick Woltemade, who earlier had a penalty saved by Nikola Vasilj.
St. Pauli finished with nine players with Siebe Van der Heyden sent off for a second yellow card for conceding the penalty, followed by Vasilj with two yellow cards in quick succession in stoppage time for complaining.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Ciarán Fahey, The Associated Press
