bundesliga

Borussia Dortmund round off USA tour with Chelsea draw

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Borussia Dortmund continued their unbeaten run of pre-season results with a 1-1 draw against Chelsea to conclude their summer tour of the USA.

Chelsea 1-1 Dortmund
Goals: 0-1
Wolf (80'), 1-1 Burstow (89')

Edin Terzic's side came into this game following a 6-0 win over San Diego Loyal and a 3-2 success against Manchester United in Las Vegas, but they were on the back foot for most of the first half here. Former RB Leipzig attacker Christopher Nkunku, who joined Chelsea over the summer, was lively down the left early on but had to be taken off midway through the half with an injury. Marcel Sabitzer impressed with his range of passing, including some stunning switches of play from right to left, but BVB didn't threaten the Chelsea goal before the interval. The Premier League outfit had a cluster of decent opportunities towards the end of the first 45, but a combination of good saves from Alexander Meyer and wayward finishing from Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson left the game goalless at the midway stage.

The tempo increased considerably in the second half, perhaps helped by the inevitable swathe of substitutes eager to impress their bosses, and after Dortmund youngster Samuel Bamba flashed a shot wide of the post, Ramy Bensebaini was called to block a shot on the line when Carney Chukwuemeka seemed certain to score from eight yards. It remained end-to-end and Terzic's side looked to be on course for victory when Marius Wolf scored from close range late on, tapping in Bamba's shot from outide the box, but Chelsea equalised in the last minute through Mason Burstow's well-placed header. 

Watch: The best of of Dortmund's USA tour

Match stats

  • Dortmund had won all five of their pre-season friendlies this summer prior to this fixture with an aggregate score of 21-5.
  • Julian Brandt was BVB's most productive attacking outlet last season with nine goals and eight assists from midfield. He is yet to open his account this summer, though.
  • New Chelsea man Nkunku had 16 goals and four assists in 25 Bundesliga games for RB Leipzig last season.
  • Chelsea parted company with two former Dortmund players this summer in Pulisic and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
  • USMNT star Pulisic, now of AC Milan, had 19 goals and 26 assists in 127 games in all competitions for Die Schwarzgelben between 2015 and 2019.
  • Dortmund and Chelsea have only met twice competitively, each winning at home in the last 16 of last year's UEFA Champions League. The Blues edged through 2-1 on aggregate.

Teams

Chelsea: Kepa - James (c) (Gusto 73'), Silva (Humphreys 73') Colwill, Chilwell (Cucurella 73') - Gallagher, Fernandez - Sterling (Hall 81'), Nkunku (Mudryk 22'), Chukwuemeka (Maatsen 73') - Jackson (Burstow 81')
Unused subs: Slonina, Bergstrom, Chalobah, Dos Santos, Ugochukwu, Casadei, Gabriel, Moreira
Out: Badiashile (thigh), Bettinelli (knock), Broja (knee), Fofana (knee), Madueke (thigh)
Coach:
Mauricio Pochettino 

Dortmund: Meyer - Ryerson (Wolf 61'), Süle (c) (Papadopoulos 61'), Hummels (Blank 72'), Bensebaini (Bueno 72') - Sabitzer (Brandt 46'), Özcan (Can 72'), Reus (Nmecha 72') - Malen (Bamba 46'), Moukoko (Haller 61'), Adeyemi (Hazard 46')
Unused subs: Kirsch, Pohlmann
Out: Bynoe-Gittens (shoulder), Coulibaly (not included), Duranville (hamstring), Kobel (muscular), Meunier (muscular), Morey (muscular), Reyna (leg), Schlotterbeck (knee)
Coach:
Edin Terzic

As it happened!

1 - 1

(0 - 0)

Chelsea
FINAL
Dortmund
Friendly
Pre-season
Pre-season Soldier Field, Chicago
Full-time
89'

Chelsea equalise!

Dortmund struggle to clear the free-kick and Mason Burstow rises highest in the box to guide a well-placed header into the net.
89'
88'

Dangerous position

Brandt gives away a free-kick with a clumsy push in the back. It's about 20 yards out, close to the right-hand corner of the box...
84'

Almost the equaliser!

A cross bounces through the Dortmund box from left to right and Colwill is there once again. However, once more he can't get the ball under control properly and can only bundle it wide.
81'

Dortmund lead!

The ensuing corner following Brandt's chance leads to the opening goal. Initially there doesn't appear to be much danger as Kepa punches well clear of the box, but Bamba is completely unmarked and is allowed time and space to shoot from 20 yards. The ball whistles through a crowd of players and falls kindly for Wolf, who taps in from close range.
80'

Marius Wolf

GOAL!

0:1
Marius Wolf
79'

Brandt goes through!

A mix-up in the Chelsea defence sends Brandt through on goal. He's sent wider than he'd like by a bobble on the pitch but he could still get a shot away. He instead opts to cut back and try to find a teammate, but is crowded out by two covering defenders.
76'

Brilliant from Papadopoulos

Jackson sprints behind the BVB defence and looks to bear down on goal with only the goalkeeper to beat, but Papadopoulos gets back brilliantly, hooking the ball away with a perfectly timed sliding tackle.
73'

Substitution

70'

Mudryk does well

The Ukrainian gets past Wolf down the Chelsea left, races to the byline and crosses into the middle. Papadopoulos reads the danger though, and stretches to clear.
68'

Momentary scare

Bensabaini, wide on the left, pings a pass back to Meyer, who wasn't expecting it and is slightly out of position. For a second it looks like being an own goal, but the goalkeeper scrambles to his right and is able to clear.
63'

Bensebaini almost in

The summer signing scampers down the left on the overlap and receives Brandt's pass. He tries to go past James on the outside but runs out of room and the ball goes out for a goal kick.
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Nothing in it

Moukoko's pace has kept the Chelsea defenders on their toes.
57'

Opening up

Both teams seem to have clicked up a gear in the last few minutes, injecting greater pace and desire going forward. This doesn't feel like being another goalless half.
54'

Bensebaini to the rescue!

Chelsea get forward well via Sterling and Jackson, who slots the ball into Chukwuemeka's path. He looks certain to score from close range but Bensebaini throws himself in the way to make a fantastic block.
53'

Bamba fires wide

Hazard switches the play from left to right with a beautiful pass. The substitute races into the box and shoots, but can only blast it wide.
50'

More drive

Those three half-time changes have given Dortmund a bit of added impetus and they're looking sharper and quicker in the final third already.
Kick-off!
Half-time
45'

Sabitzer has a go

Sabitzer has what feels like Dortmund's first shot at goal of the game, smashing an effort from outside the box, but it hits a leg before it gets anywhere near to the goal and is cleared.
42'

Jackson clean through!

Dortmund are caught out by Silva's long ball from the back. The ball bounces awkwardly for him, and although he manages to take it around Meyer he is forced to a wide angle, eventually skewing his shot over the bar.
40'

Sterling drills wide!

Fernandez flicks the ball through for Sterling down the right. He has Jackson for support in the middle but opts to shoot and ends up firing his effort just wide of the far post.
36'

Good save

Chilwell shoots from inside the Dortmund box, wide on the left. It's a tight angle but he gets some power behind it and Meyer has to watch it closely at his near post to prevent it squeezing in.
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Open game

Ryerson versus Nkunku was shaping up to be an intriguing battle down the Dortmund right before the latter was taken off with an injury.
32'

Brief opening

Chelsea lose possession deep in Dortmund's half and suddenly there's a glimpse of an opening for a counter-attack, a feeling that grows as Sabitzer pings a brilliant cross-field pass from right to left for Adeyemi. He jinks inside and tries to find Moukoko inside the box but his pass is intercepted and Chelsea clear.
29'

Hydration break

There's a pause in play so the players can have a drink of water.
27'

Decent position

Dortmund win a free-kick wide on the left, about 40 yards out. They pack the box as Reus lines up to take it, but his delivery his poor and doesn't get beyond the first defender.
23'

First sub

Chelsea are taking no risks with their marquee summer signing, so Nkunku goes off and is replaced by Mudryk.
21'

Nkunku down

The Chelsea attacker is sitting on the ground, pointing at his left knee. His former Leipzig teammate Sabitzer goes over to check on him as the Chelsea physios take to the pitch to have a look.
19'

First foray forward

Dortmund win a corner as they relieve the pressure at the back for a moment. It's swung in, aiming for Hummels, but James beats him to it and clears the ball.
16'

BVB yet to click

Dortmund are defending resolutely but at present they can't keep the ball for very long and haven't spent much time in Chelsea's half yet.
12'

Chance for Colwill!

The corner is flicked on at the near post and goes all the way across the six-yard box, where Colwill is arriving unmarked. It seems to take him by surprise a bit, and he can only prod the ball over the bar from close range.
11'

Bensebaini snuffs out the danger

Sterling links up well with James down the Chelsea right as he attempts to get behind the defence, but Bensebaini nips in to clear it for a corner.
9'

Chance for Jackson!

Nkunku darts into the Dortmund box down the left, his acceleration taking him away from a couple of defenders. He lays it off for Jackson, whose powerful first-time shot is well saved by Meyer. Best opportunity of the game so far.
camera-photo

Captain Süle

The centre-back is wearing the skipper's armband for this one. Marco Reus stepped down as captain last month, with Emre Can (on the bench here) nominated in his stead.
3'

Defending first

Chelsea have gone on the front foot early on, forcing the action to take place in Dortmund's half. They haven't got anywhere near the box yet though.
1'

Here we go!

Chelsea get the ball rolling in Chicago!
Kick-off!

Out on the pitch

The times are out on the field - Chelsea in blue and Dortmund yelllow - with the American national anthem being sung before kick-off.

Chelsea starting XI

Chelsea: Kepa - James (c), Silva, Colwill, Chilwell - Gallagher, Fernandez - Sterling, Nkunku, Chukwuemeka - Jackson

Dortmund starting XI

Meyer - Ryerson, Süle (c), Hummels, Bensebaini - Sabitzer, Özcan, Reus - Malen, Moukoko, Adeyemi

Dortmund subs

Kirsch, Nmecha, Haller, Hazard, Wolf, Brandt, Can, Pohlmann, Bueno, Papadopoulos, Bamba, Blank
7:44
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Watch: San Diego Loyal 0-6 Dortmund

Enjoy highlights and all the goals from Dortmund's opening game in California against San Diego Loyal.

Injury woes

Centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck is already back in Germany after picking up an injury in Dortmund's first game against San Diego, so will obviously play no part in this match. There was more bad news following the Manchester United fixture, with Thomas Meunier ruled out for several weeks with what the club has called "a serious muscle injury", while first-choice goalkeeper Gregor Kobel has sat out training with a knock.

New faces

Sabitzer is one of three high-profile arrivals at Dortmund this summer, alongside left-back Ramy Bensebaini and midfielder Felix Nmecha. Several other big-name players have also left, however, including Jude Bellingham, Raphael Guerreiro, Anthony Modeste and Mo Dahoud.
7:39
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Watch: All of Nkunku's Bundesliga goals

Sit back and savour the best of the France international's time at Leipzig by recapping all 47 of his top-flight strikes in Germany.
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Familiar faces

There will be a meeting of former RB Leipzig teammates out on the pitch as new Chelsea signing Christopher Nkunku (l.) spent three years at the Red Bull Arena alongside Dortmund's summer arrival Marcel Sabitzer (r.) between 2019 and 2021.

Dortmund on a roll

BVB have won both of their games on US soil so far, beating San Diego Loyal 6-0 before a 3-2 triumph over Manchester United in Las Vegas. That takes their pre-season tally to five wins from five this summer, so Edin Terzic's charges will be in confident mood coming into this one.

Hello and welcome

Thank you for joining us for build-up and live match coverage of Dortmund's final game of their USA summer tour.