Borussia Dortmund secure dramatic late draw against RB Leipzig
Fabio Silva’s maiden Bundesliga goal secured Borussia Dortmund a share of the spoils deep into stoppage-time after Christoph Baumgartner’s brace fired RB Leipzig into a first half lead.
RB Leipzig 2-2 Borussia Dortmund
Goals: 1-0 Baumgartner 20’ (assist: Diomande), 2-0 Baumgartner 39’ (assist: Raum), 2-1 Rômulo o.g. 50’, 2-2 Silva 90’+5 (assist: Adeyemi)
RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund met at the Red Bull Arena with contrasting fortunes heading into the match. The visitors were enjoying a sensational run of form under Niko Kovač, having won their last six Bundesliga matches to sit second in the table, six points behind leaders FC Bayern München.
The Black and Yellows' defensive solidity and set-piece prowess had been instrumental in their recent success, with Julian Ryerson providing a league-leading eleven assists.
Leipzig, meanwhile, were struggling for consistency, having won just one of their previous five matches and fallen out of the Champions League places.
Baumgartner brilliance puts Leipzig in control
The match began with both sides looking to establish control, though it was Leipzig who created the first clear opportunity when Rômulo forced a fine save from Gregor Kobel. Dortmund responded immediately with Maximilian Beier testing Maarten Vandevoordt at the other end.
After a period of intense midfield battles, the hosts broke the deadlock in the 20th minute. Yan Diomande's excellent work down the left culminated in a low cross that Christoph Baumgartner met with a sublime flick at the near post to beat Kobel.
The Austrian midfielder continued to cause problems for the Dortmund defence and doubled Leipzig's advantage in the 39th minute with another clinical finish from David Raum's cross, again converting at the near post to put Ole Werner's side firmly in command.
Dortmund's dramatic comeback
Whatever Kovač said at half-time had an immediate impact as Dortmund reduced the deficit within five minutes of the restart. Ryerson's corner from the left caused chaos in the Leipzig penalty area, and Rômulo inadvertently headed the ball into his own net to give the visitors a lifeline. The goal injected new energy into Dortmund, who gradually wrestled control of the match from their hosts.
Kovač introduced fresh legs in the form of Julian Brandt, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Yan Couto around the 65th minute mark, before bringing on Fabio Silva and Karim Adeyemi to add more attacking threat. Despite Leipzig creating chances through the tireless Diomande and substitute Antonio Nusa, it was Dortmund who struck deep into stoppage time.
In the fifth minute of added time, Brandt and Adeyemi combined to set up Silva, who slotted past Vandevoordt to spark wild celebrations among the travelling supporters.
Man of the Match: Christoph Baumgartner
The Austrian international produced a masterclass in attacking midfield play, capping his performance with two superbly taken goals. His ability to arrive at the perfect moment in the box was demonstrated by both finishes, using intelligent movement to find space at the near post.
Baumgartner's first-time finish for the opening goal showcased his technical quality, while his second demonstrated his predatory instinct.
Beyond his goals, he posed a constant threat with four shots in total and covered 12.4 kilometres, the highest distance of any Leipzig player. His tenth goal of the season marked his most productive Bundesliga campaign to date, having never previously scored more than seven times in a single season.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Leipzig 3.08 - Dortmund 1.14
Fastest player: Yan Diomande (Leipzig), 34.49 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 2-2 by Fabio Silva (Dortmund), 24.79 percent
Most pressed player: Brajan Gruda (Leipzig), 24 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Yan Diomande (Leipzig), +4.45
Fantasy Heroes: Christoph Baumgartner (Leipzig, 365 Points), Yan Diomande (Leipzig, 287 Points), Willi Orbán (Leipzig, 186 Points)
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