Sinsheim, Germany (SportsNetwork.com) - Bayer Leverkusen moved to the top of the Bundesliga on Friday after securing a 2-1 win at Hoffenheim with Stefan Kiessling's controversial goal grabbing all of the attention.
Sidney Sam scored his league-leading seventh goal of the campaign in the 26th minute to put Leverkusen ahead, while the controversy happened 20 minutes from time.
Gonzalo Castro's corner kick found Kiessling inside the penalty area and he rose up and turned a header toward goal.
The ball sailed just wide of the near post but managed to creep through a hole in the netting to end up in the net, prompting referee Felix Brych to award a goal.
Hoffenheim's protests fell on deaf ears and the club is expected to lodge an appeal.
Despite the goal Hoffenheim got back into the match with a goal from Sven Schipplock in the 88th minute after teammate Roberto Firmino failed to convert a penalty kick five minutes earlier.
Leverkusen moves two points clear of second-place Bayern Munich with the win, and Bayern will attempt to regain the advantage on Saturday when the club hosts mid-table Mainz.
Borussia Dortmund sits one point back of Bayern and the club is looking to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat last time out against Monchengladbach with three points at home versus Hannover.
Monchengladbach enters the weekend in fourth place and the team will travel to Hertha Berlin, Nurnberg eyes its first win of the campaign at Eintracht, Schalke visits last-place Braunschweig and Werder Bremen hosts Freiburg, which is winless in eight league games.
On Sunday Stuttgart invades Hamburg and Wolfsburg tangles with Augsburg in a battle of bottom-half teams.
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