Füllkrug rescues Werder Bremen 2-2 draw at Dortmund with stoppage-time header
Borussia Dortmund dropped their first league points of the season after leading 2-0, as Ludovit Reis and Niclas Füllkrug scored in the final four minutes of normal time and stoppage time at Signal Iduna Park.
Dortmund lead twice and then lose it
Borussia Dortmund laboured through much of the fifth Bundesliga round against a compact Werder Bremen side, with few chances at either end. Marcel Sabitzer grazed the post with a direct free-kick, and Maximilian Beier forced a save from Bremen keeper Karl Hein just before the break. Dortmund came out sharper after half-time, but Hein made a string of brilliant saves, and Ethan Nwaneri's overhead kick on the hour was ruled out for a foul in the build-up. Dortmund had won their first four league games of the season before Friday's match.
Four goals in the final ten minutes
Daniel Svensson broke the deadlock on 80 minutes, poking the ball in from close range on the counter-attack after Fabio Silva's miscued shot fell kindly for him. Nico Schlotterbeck headed in a Joey Veerman corner five minutes later, making it 2-0, even though he had pulled out of Germany's squad with injury before the international break. Ludovit Reis then struck a low shot from outside the box on 88 minutes after Oskar Wójcik, the Polish international, won the ball with a sliding tackle and fed him, which was Wójcik's first Bundesliga assist. Niclas Füllkrug headed in a free-kick from Marco Grüll in the second minute of stoppage time, his fourth straight Bundesliga match with a goal, and the game finished 2-2.
- Daniel Svensson scores from close range
- Nico Schlotterbeck heads in a Joey Veerman corner
- Ludovit Reis pulls a goal back from outside the box
- Niclas Füllkrug heads in a free-kick, final score 2-2
Füllkrug, who left Dortmund for West Ham in 2024, told Sky after the match that he had enjoyed his time at the club.
I was really looking forward to this game. Dortmund is a great club and I had an amazing time here, even if I couldn't quite stop myself from celebrating today.
Kovač and the table
Dortmund are top of the table on 13 points from five matches, three ahead of Bayern Munich on 10 points, although Bayern have a game in hand according to Reuters. Freiburg are third on 10 points.
- Borussia Dortmund
- 13 points
- Bayern Munich
- 10 points
- Freiburg
- 10 points
Dortmund coach Niko Kovač reacted to the late collapse with a clear message about how the game had ended.
It's obviously disappointing. I've been in the business long enough to know that the game is never over until the referee blows his whistle.
Fixtures ahead
Bayern play at Augsburg on Saturday at 15:30, and a win would take them top of the table. Freiburg meet Schalke on Sunday. Dortmund face Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League on Wednesday at 21:00. The two sides meet again on 27 October in the second round of the German Cup at Dortmund, before the Klassiker at the Allianz Arena on 31 October in matchday eight of the Bundesliga.
