WOLFSBURG, Germany Bayer Leverkusen battled to a 2-1 win over hosts VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday with goals from Jeremie Frimpong and Spaniard Alejandro Grimaldo, to stay in top spot in the Bundesliga with their seventh win in eight league matches.
Unbeaten Leverkusen are on 22 points, one ahead of second-placed VfB Stuttgart, 3-0 winners at Union Berlin, and two ahead of Borussia Dortmund in third.
Champions Bayern Munich, in fourth place on 17, face Mainz 05 later on Saturday.
In a strong start to the game Leverkusen piled on the pressure and Frimpong was left unmarked at the far post, volleying in a Victor Boniface cross in the 13th minute to put Xabi Alonso's team in the driving seat.
Leverkusen should have scored again in the first half with chances from Boniface and Amine Adli.
Instead it was the Wolves who struck four minutes before the break when Leverkusen failed to clear a corner and the ball fell for Maxence Lacroix who slotted in to level.
The visitors snatched the winner just past the hour when Frimpong was sent through into the box but his cutback got a deflection with the ball landing for Grimaldo to thunder in.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Toby Davis)