Dortmund beats Leverkusen 1-0 in interrupted Bundesliga game

BERLIN (AP) - Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 win at Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga was interrupted for eight minutes Sunday after the home side's coach refused to be sent to the stands.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's 64th-minute goal - his 21st of the season and his 50th in 86 Bundesliga games - was enough for second-placed Dortmund to restore the eight-point gap behind Bayern Munich.

But referee Felix Zwayer sent Roger Schmidt off for complaining vociferously over the positioning of a free-kick in the build up to the goal, when Leverkusen striker Stefan Kiessling lost the ball and fouled Sven Bender. Matthias Ginter took a quick free kick from where the ball rolled to Erik Durm, who crossed for the onrushing Aubameyang to shoot to the unguarded net.

"I was too stubborn, I reacted emotionally. I was sent a signal from 45 meters that I should go to the stands," Schmidt said. "It was definitely a mistake of mine. I didn't think the game would be interrupted. I hurt my team through that."

Zwayer ordered both sides off the pitch when Schmidt made no sign of moving, prompting widespread confusion among players and fans. Zwayer and his officials also walked off, leaving the field vacant for several minutes - until players and officials came back out.

"To interrupt a game like that and to make things so hectic is completely unnecessary," Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voeller said.

His annoyance was compounded minutes after the restart, when Dortmund defender Sokratis wasn't penalized for blocking Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez's header with his arm in the penalty area.

Schmidt blasted the decision.

"Not to give the penalty for handball is crazy," the Leverkusen coach said.

"If he sees that he's going to whistle it," Dortmund counterpart Thomas Tuchel agreed.

Marco Reus missed a great opportunity to secure the win for Dortmund, before Hernandez shot wide in injury time with the equalizer beckoning.

Aubameyang missed the biggest chance of the first half just before the break when he fired wide with only the goalkeeper to beat after he was set up by Christian Pulisic. The 17-year-old American Pulisic was making his first league start for Dortmund.

"Both teams can do more," Germany coach Joachim Loew said of an uneventful first half.

Schalke was to host in-form Stuttgart and Hannover was facing Augsburg in a relegation battle later Sunday.