SINSHEIM: Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen played to a 0-0 draw in a result that helped neither side.
Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann saved from Charles Aranguiz, Nadiem Amiri and Leon Bailey while the hosts had no major scoring opportunity on Monday, DPA reports.
Leverkusen are sixth in the last Europa League slot with a four-point cushion, having garnered four points in the two games under new coach Hannes Wolf.
"A point is not enough. We want to get into the Champions League but we are now nine points off," Amiri told streaming portal DAZN, with veteran Sven Bender adding that "the draw is not ideal, we would have preferred a victory."
Hoffenheim meanwhile ended a run of three straight defeats and are 12th, five points above the danger zone.
The game was the last Monday kick-off for now as the day unpopular especially among fans is scrapped for at least the next three seasons when 10 games will be played instead on Sunday night, mainly for Europa League teams. IANS