Marco Reus strikes late as Borussia Dortmund roar back to rescue point against Paderborn
Marco Reus scored deep in second-half stoppage time as Borussia Dortmund fought back from 3-0 down to rescue a draw at home to lowly Paderborn in the Matchday 12 opener.
Borussia Dortmund 3-3 Paderborn
Goals: 0-1 Mamba (5'), 0-2 Mamba (37'), 0-3 Holtmann (43'), 1-3 Sancho (47'), 2-3 Witsel (84'), 3-3 Reus (90'+2)
A fortnight after their chastening 4-0 defeat away to Bayern Munich in Der Klassiker, a home meeting with the Bundesliga's bottom side looked like just what the doctor ordered for Dortmund – but Paderborn clearly hadn't read the script. Just five minutes in, the visitors stunned the Signal Iduna Park as Kai Pröger skipped past Nico Schulz and crossed for Streli Mamba to poke past Roman Bürki for 1-0. It took BVB the best part of 20 minutes to finally show signs of life, with Raphael Guerreiro – one of five changes made by Lucien Favre – screwing a couple of efforts wide of the mark. But it was Mamba celebrating again on 37 minutes as Dortmund were punished for their high defensive line, the 25-year-old latching onto Ben Zolinski's brilliant ball over the top and slotting home. Favre's men failed to learn their lesson and Paderborn struck again before the interval, Gerrit Holtmann ghosting past Julian Weigl before slipping in a third to send the away fans into raptures.
Favre had already replaced the injured Paco Alcacer with Julian Brandt before half-time, and decided to twist further by introducing Achraf Hakimi and Thorgan Hazard at the break. His changes had an immediate impact, as Hakimi teed up Jadon Sancho to make it 3-1 on 47 minutes. The hosts continued to pile forward, with captain Reus drawing a fine save from Leopold Zingerle and Mats Hummels heading just wide. Mamba had a glorious chance to put the game to bed after being played in by substitute Christopher Antwi-Adjej, but fizzed wide instead of completing a first career hat-trick. Axel Witsel then hooked an effort just off target, before Bayern youth product Zingerle pulled off a sensational triple save to deny Hazard, Sancho and Brandt. Witsel finally grabbed a second goal to set up a grandstand finish, and it was Reus who broke Paderborn's stubborn resistance in injury time, powering in an emphatic header to earn Dortmund a share of the spoils.
Match stats
- Mamba was on target for the first time since the Matchday 2 loss to Freiburg, and grabbed his first Bundesliga brace.
- Paderborn have scored six goals this season in the first 15 minutes of matches, more than any other Bundesliga side.
- Holtmann netted his first Bundesliga goal for Paderborn since joining on loan this summer. He last found the back of the net in January 2018, scoring for parent club Mainz in a 3-2 win over Stuttgart.
- Sancho netted his first Bundesliga goal in exactly two months, since his Matchday 5 strike at Eintracht Frankfurt on 22 September. The England international is up to four for the campaign, and BVB have still never lost a league game in which he has scored (W11, D4).
- Witsel scored his first Bundesliga header, having put away his previous six goals with his right foot. Reus's six goals this term are the most for a midfielder.
- The last time Dortmund rescued a point after going three goals down was against Revierderby rivals Schalke in September 2008.
Watch: Favre: "Simply not good enough"
Line-ups
Dortmund: Bürki - Piszczek, Weigl, Hummels, Schulz (Hakimi 46') - Witsel, Dahoud (Hazard 46') - Sancho, Reus (c), Guerreiro - Alcacer (Brandt 45'+2)
Unused subs: Hitz, Zagadou, Götze, Akanji, Schmelzer
Out: Bruun Larsen (knee), Delaney (ankle)
Coach: Lucien Favre
Paderborn: Zingerle - Jans, Kilian, Schonlau, Collins - Pröger, Gjasula (c), Vasiliadis (Sabiri 40'), Holtmann (Antwi-Adjej 62') - Zolinski (Michel 77'), Mamba
Unused subs: Huth, Dräger, Shelton, Cauly, Strohdiek, Hünemeier
Out: Ritter (groin)
Coach: Steffen Baumgart
Watch: Mamba: "I thought I was dreaming"
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