Lucas Höler's stunner earns Freiburg a point against 10-man Borussia Dortmund
A Jobe Bellingham red card proved the turning point at the Europa-Park Stadion as Borussia Dortmund surrendered a lead after Lucas Höler's spectacular second-half finish cancelled out a Ramy Bensebaini opener.
Freiburg 1-1 Borussia Dortmund
Goals: 0-1 Bensebaini 31' (assist: Couto), 1-1 Höler 75' (assist: Günter)
Red card: Bellingham 53'
Dortmund arrived in the Black Forest in formidable domestic form, unbeaten in their previous six Bundesliga matches with four victories to their name. Their defensive record had been particularly impressive, conceding just 11 goals this season, with only Bayern Munich shipping fewer.
Dortmund dominate and strike first
Indeed, the visitors began the match with purpose and had the first clear opportunity in the fifth minute when Serhou Guirassy headed narrowly wide from Yan Couto's cross. Freiburg responded through Johan Manzambi, whose shot was comfortably saved by Gregor Kobel.
BVB's dominance continued and they nearly broke the deadlock in the 21st minute when Carney Chukwuemeka's effort struck the post following a clever one-two with Guirassy.
The breakthrough finally came in the 31st minute when Bensebaini headed Couto's floated free-kick down before smashing home from close range for just his second Bundesliga goal in Dortmund colours.
Red card turns the tide
The complexion of the match would change dramatically in the 53rd minute, however. A poor pass from BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel put Bellingham in trouble, and the Englishman inadvertently tripped Philipp Treu, who would have been clean through on goal.
Referee Felix Zwayer had no choice but to show the Englishman a straight red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Niko Kovač responded by replacing Fabio Silva with Pascal Groß to shore up the midfield, but Freiburg began to assert their numerical advantage. The hosts created several opportunities, with Lukas Kübler forcing a save from Kobel before Treu tested the Swiss goalkeeper with a powerful drive.
Höler's moment of magic
Yuito Suzuki came agonisingly close in the 73rd minute when his shot was flicked onto the crossbar by Kobel, but Freiburg's pressure finally told two minutes later. Christian Günter delivered a cross from the left, and Höler produced a moment of pure inspiration. The striker controlled the ball before executing a stunning acrobatic finish that flew into the top corner, giving the Dortmund custodian no chance.
A 71.63 km/h strike – from a difficult 13.09 metres out – sent the Europa-Park Stadion into raptures. The hosts then thought they had found a winner in the 86th minute when Igor Matanović bundled the ball over the line, but VAR spotted an offside in the build-up.
Despite six minutes of added time and continued Freiburg pressure, Dortmund held firm to secure a hard-earned point.
Player of the Match: Lucas Höler
While Dortmund dominated the early exchanges, it was Höler who ultimately stole the show with his eye-catching equaliser. The 29-year-old forward demonstrated remarkable technique and athleticism to execute his acrobatic finish, turning a routine cross into a goal-of-the-season contender.
His ability to remain composed under pressure and produce such a high-quality finish in a crucial moment underlined his value to Freiburg. The strike was Höler's first Bundesliga goal of the season and, according to the match stats, came from a chance with just a 7.2% probability of being converted. His all-round performance earned him 262 fantasy points – the highest of any player on the pitch.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Freiburg 1.11 - Dortmund 1.34
Fastest player: Suzuki (Freiburg), 33.67 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-1 by Höler (Freiburg), 7 percent
Most pressed player: Suzuki (Freiburg), 27 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Kübler (Freiburg), +2.53
Fantasy Heroes: Höler (Freiburg, 262 Points), Treu (Freiburg, 248 Points), Kübler (Freiburg, 217 Points)
Related news
Which strikers should you pick in Fantasy?
Our selection of forwards are raring to help your bid for Fantasy glory!
Höler stars as Freiburg edge Hoffenheim in five-goal thriller
Höler's double gave Freiburg a boost in the European qualification race.
Höler double gets Freiburg back to winning ways
Lucas Höler scored two and set up another as Freiburg overcame Gladbach to earn a first Bundesliga win in over a month.