Under the lights at Signal Iduna Park, Borussia Dortmund saw a fifth straight Bundesliga victory slip away in the closing minutes as former forward Niclas Füllkrug headed Werder Bremen to a 2-2 draw.
Dortmund had controlled much of the opening contest of matchday five and appeared to have finally broken Bremen’s resistance through two late goals. Instead, a dramatic turnaround from the visitors left the home side with one point and opened the door for Bayern Munich and Freiburg in the race for top spot.
Late Dortmund lead disappears
The breakthrough did not arrive until the 80th minute. Fábio Silva had missed an important opportunity, but Daniel Svensson reacted well at the far post to turn the ball in and give Dortmund the advantage their performance had threatened.
Five minutes later, Nico Schlotterbeck seemed to settle the evening. The defender rose to score with a header from a set-piece, making it 2-0 and putting Dortmund on course to begin the Bundesliga campaign with five consecutive wins.
Bremen, however, changed the mood of the stadium in the 88th minute. Ludovit Reis punished a defensive lapse to reduce the deficit, bringing nervousness to the Dortmund ranks and belief to the travelling side.
The equaliser came in stoppage time. Füllkrug met the ball with a header in the 92nd minute, denying his former club the win and ensuring Bremen left Dortmund with a point.
Füllkrug’s return carries added weight
The goal had a particular significance at Signal Iduna Park. Füllkrug previously played for Dortmund and was part of the side that reached the 2024 Champions League final, where Real Madrid won the trophy.
That Dortmund season was among the strongest periods of his career before his departure for West Ham. He later moved to Milan, where his spell made little impact, before returning to German football with Bremen.
Table pressure before Europe returns
The draw leaves Dortmund vulnerable at the summit. Bayern Munich and Freiburg both had 10 points before their respective fifth-round fixtures and held superior goal differences to Dortmund.
Bayern are due to face Augsburg, while Freiburg meet Schalke 04, one of Dortmund’s traditional rivals. Victories for either Bayern or Freiburg would be enough to move ahead of Dortmund, with the Champions League set to return for the leading Bundesliga clubs.
