For 88 minutes, Borussia Dortmund looked set to preserve their perfect Bundesliga start. Then, under the Friday-night lights in Bremen, a two-goal lead vanished and the first points of the season slipped away.
Key takeaways
- Dortmund drew 2-2 with Werder Bremen in the fifth Bundesliga round after leading 2-0 late on.
- Daniel Svensson opened the scoring in the 80th minute, finishing Sehrou Guirassy’s cut-back.
- Captain Nico Schlotterbeck made it 2-0 from a corner five minutes later.
- Ludovit Reis pulled one back for Bremen in the 88th minute.
- Niclas Füllkrug headed the equaliser from a free-kick in the second minute of stoppage time.
- Dortmund remain provisional league leaders but could be caught by Bayern Munich and Freiburg.
Dortmund punished after late control slips away
Niko Kovac’s side had controlled much of the contest but struggled to turn their superiority into a lead. The breakthrough finally came 10 minutes from time, when Swedish left wing-back Svensson threw himself into a forceful sliding finish after Guirassy had created the opening with a low ball back across goal.
Dortmund appeared to have settled the match in the 85th minute. Schlotterbeck, wearing the captain’s armband, struck from a corner to put the visitors two goals ahead.
But Bremen found a route back almost immediately. Dutch midfielder Reis reduced the deficit in the 88th minute, setting up a frantic finish after Dortmund had seemed safely clear.
The home side completed their recovery four minutes later. Füllkrug met a set-piece delivery with a header in added time, scoring his fifth goal in six appearances in all competitions and denying Dortmund a fifth straight league win.
Pressure on Dortmund’s position at the top
The draw represents Dortmund’s first dropped points of the Bundesliga campaign. Kovac and his players will have particular reason for frustration after being two goals in front so close to the final whistle.
They remain top of the table for now, although Bayern Munich can draw level with a win at Augsburg on Saturday, with kick-off scheduled for 15:30. Freiburg also have the chance to reach Dortmund’s points total when they host Schalke in Sunday’s final match of the fifth round, beginning at 17:30.
