Bayer 04 Leverkusen pulled within five points of Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund as they came from behind to win 2-1 at home to lowly FC St Pauli.

Second-placed Leverkusen were eyeing a fifth straight league win to capitalise on Dortmund's 1-1 draw at Hamburger SV on Saturday. But the opportunity looked to be passing them by when Charles Takyi flicked in Florian Bruns' cross on 58 minutes.

The visitors would have moved out of the bottom three had they hung on. Their lead lasted just eight minutes, though, as Stefan Kiessling levelled from Eren Derdiyok's cut-back and the home side then completed the turnaround 13 minutes from time when Lars Bender's drive squirmed under Benedikt Pliquett.

VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach boosted their chance of avoiding relegation with an emphatic 5-1 victory at home to 1. FC Köln. Marco Reus scored two of three goals in ten first-half minutes to help move the home side within four points of safety.

Filip Daems's penalty and a fifth by Håvard Nordtveit rounded off the scoring after Milivoje Novakovič had reduced the deficit. The triumph was Mönchengladbach's second by a four-goal margin this term – the other was their 4-0 win in the reverse fixture in November.

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