Bayer Leverkusen missed a golden opportunity to climb into the top five of the Bundesliga after being held to a 1–1 draw by relegation-battling Mainz in Round 24.

In the 67th minute, Karim Onisiwo Becker — latching onto a pinpoint delivery from Paul Nebel — struck a fierce first-time effort beyond the goalkeeper to stun the home crowd.

With their top-five ambitions slipping away, Bayer Leverkusen pushed forward in search of salvation. Relief finally came in the 88th minute when Jarell Quansah reacted quickest inside the box, converting Kofane’s precise pass with a sharp first-time finish to rescue a point.

But the late leveller was not enough to mask the wider disappointment. The 1–1 draw leaves Bayer Leverkusen unable to overtake RB Leipzig in the standings, keeping them outside the coveted top five as the race for European qualification intensifies.

2025-26, Germany - Bundesliga

Bayer 04 - Mainz 05 1:1 (0:0)
Goals: Becker, 67 (0:1); Quansah, 88 (1:1)

Bayer 04: Blaswich; Quansah; Tapsoba E.; Arthur Soares (Tape, 46); Grimaldo; Fernández Ez. (Kofane, 72); Hofmann (Maza, 59); Andrich; Palacios Ex. (Aleix Garcia, 82); Schick; Poku E. (Terrier, 59)
Substitution: Tape (from 46); Terrier (from 59); Maza (from 59); Kofane (from 72); Aleix Garcia (from 82)
Bench: Omlin; Lomb; Oermann; Culbreath
Yellow Cards: Tapsoba E. 66

Mainz 05: Batz; Mwene; Posch; Widmer (da Costa, 81); Potulski; Sano; Lee Jae-sung (Maloney, 89); Kohr; Nebel P.; Becker (Silas, 69); Tietz P.
Substitution: Silas (from 69); da Costa (from 81); Maloney (from 89)
Bench: Riess L.; Leitsch; Gleiber; Moreno F.; Sieb A.; Vick W.
Yellow Cards: Posch 66; Maloney 90