In Dortmund, where the yellow wall had expected another orderly step through the opening weeks, Borussia let a two-goal lead dissolve into an extraordinary 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen. Niko Kovac’s side had done the difficult work against an obstinate visiting defence, only for two late Bremen goals — the last from former Dortmund forward Niclas Füllkrug — to change the mood around the Westfalenstadion.
The result ends Dortmund’s perfect winning run across the first four Bundesliga rounds. They remain on 13 points, but their place at the summit is now exposed: Bayern Munich, on 10, can move above them with a win at Augsburg, while Freiburg, also on 10, have the chance to do likewise against Schalke on Sunday.
Hein stands firm before Dortmund break through
For much of the night, the contest looked like a test of patience. Bremen sat deep and Dortmund dominated possession, although the home side struggled to find the final delivery before half-time. The first meaningful opening instead fell to Ludovit Reis, the former Barcelona B player, who escaped down the right in the 37th minute and sent a low angled effort narrowly wide.
The warning stirred Dortmund. Marcel Sabitzer bent a free-kick close to the post, then tried again without beating Karl Hein. The Estonia goalkeeper, later named player of the match, began a remarkable evening by turning away Maximilian Beier’s effort with a strong hand.
Dortmund returned after the interval with greater speed and purpose between the lines, but Hein remained the defining figure. He kept out Nico Schlotterbeck’s shot at the post and denied Nathan Nwaneri from a volley. At the other end, his long clearance sent Füllkrug clean through, only for Gregor Kobel to save the striker’s close-range finish with his foot.
That Bremen opportunity proved fleeting. Hein again stopped Nwaneri after the Arsenal loanee found space, while Nwaneri had an acrobatic finish ruled out in the 63rd minute because Waldemar Anton had fouled Füllkrug in the build-up.
A late collapse in the Ruhr
Dortmund kept pressing without becoming frantic and eventually found the breakthrough on a rare counterattack in the 80th minute. Serhou Guirassy carried the ball down the right and Fabio Silva miscued his attempt, inadvertently sending it towards Daniel Svensson, who slid in to finish.
Five minutes later, Dortmund appeared to have settled the evening. Joey Veerman’s corner reached Schlotterbeck at the far post and the defender headed home for 2-0.
Yet the home side retreated in an effort to protect the margin, allowing Bremen back into a match they had largely spent defending. Reis struck a precise shot from the edge of the area in the 88th minute to reduce the deficit. Then, deep into added time, Marco Grüll delivered a free-kick and Füllkrug headed past Kobel, timing his movement to stay onside as the goalkeeper came off his line.
For Füllkrug, who represented Dortmund in the 2023-24 season, it was a particularly pointed return. For Dortmund, it was a costly reminder that dominance across 85 minutes does not guarantee a quiet finish.
