Liverpool misfit Marko Grujic makes Bundesliga mark as RB Leipzig's title bid ends

Liverpool loanee Marko Grujic helped to ensure
that RB Leipzig’s Bundesliga title hopes were all but ended.

The Serbia midfielder opened the scoring for Hertha Berlin in a 2-2 draw at the Red Bulls, who also conceded again late on.

Third-placed Leipzig are now nine points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich following this setback.

Hertha opened the scoring after just nine minutes when Grujic volleyed in from Marvin Plattenhardt’s corner.

Leipzig levelled through Lukas Klostermann’s header after he met Christopher Nkunku’s right-wing corner on 24 minutes.

And despite being reduced to 10 men when defender Marcel Halstenberg was dismissed in the 63rd minute for a second yellow card, Patrik Schick fired the Red Bulls ahead just five minutes later – with his 20-yard strike fumbled into his own net by keeper Rune Jarstein.

But when former Everton forward Ademola Lookman brought down Matheus Cunha, frontman Krzysztof Piatek’s well-taken 82nd-minute penalty earned Hertha a share of the spoils from the spot.

Leipzig, who are also in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after a 4-0 win on aggregate over Tottenham in the last 16, have finished in the top six of the Bundesliga in each of the past three years.

And they still have a chance of matching their highest ever finish of second in the 2016-17 season when their side, coached by current Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, finished 15 points behind then champions Bayern.

But a recent run of four draws in five has all but ended their title dream for another season.

Elsewhere, David Wagner's Schalke continued their miserable recent run, losing 2-1 at Fortuna Dusseldorf.

Hoffenheim beat Cologne 3-1, with both sides ending with 10-men, while bottom-of-the-table Paderborn claimed a goalless draw at Augsburg.

Union Berlin and Mainz also shared the spoils.

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