Dortmund frustrated by resolute Augsburg in hard-fought draw

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The race between Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim for automatic UEFA Champions League qualification remains wide open after BVB were held to a 1-1 draw at Augsburg, with Alfred Finnbogason and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang exchanging goals.

Augsburg 1-1 Borussia Dortmund

Goals: 1-0 Finnbogason (28’), 1-1 Aubameyang (32’)

Dortmund started brightly at the WWK ARENA, with Ousmane Dembele providing a constant threat from the right flank. An early cross sailed agonisingly past Aubameyang’s outstretched foot, and the hosts stuck on the counter, with Finnbogason poking home Philipp Max’s rebounded shot. BVB lost Julian Weigl to injury before returning fire before the half was out, with Aubameyang turning home Shinji Kagawa’s shot for his 29th goal of the campaign.

BVB looked set to take the lead when Marco Reus controlled deliciously in the Augsburg box before squaring for Kagawa, but Martin Hinteregger stuck out his leg to deny the Japanese at the last.

The result means Dortmund and Hoffenheim are level on 61 points going into the final game of the season, with BVB in pole position to finish third due to their superior goal difference. Meanwhile, Augsburg will head into their final game knowing a draw will keep them up, though they do have to travel to Hoffenheim.

Man of the Match

Dembele seems to get better with every match. The 19-year-old France star poked and probed and even put in a game-high 11 tackles from the front to add steel to his very obvious silk.

Talking Point

The race for automatic Champions League qualification will go down to the final game. With Hoffenheim roaring past Werder Bremen, Julian Nagelsmann’s men can usurp BVB if they get a better result than their rivals on the final day.

Match Stats

    Aubameyang’s goal was his 29th of the season. Only Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowksi (with 30) has scored more.Halil Altintop made his 350th Bundesliga appearance. Werder Bremen’s Claudio Pizarro (430 games) and former Hertha Berlin man Levan Kobiashvili (351) are the only foreign born players to have reached that mark.Die Fuggerstädter have only ever taken two points (from a possible 18) against Dortmund on home turf – the last one from a 0-0 draw in their first-ever home meeting in the 2011/12 campaign.

Line-ups:

Augsburg: Luthe - Verhaegh (c), Gouweleeuw, Hinteregger, Stafylidis (Caiuby 68’) - Baier, Kohr - Schmid (Teigl, 87'), Halil Altintop, Max – Finnbogason (Ji, 90')

Coach: Manuel Baum

Dortmund: Bürki, Piszczek, Sokratis, Ginter (Rode, 89'), Schmelzer (c) – Weigl (Durm 23’), Gurreiro (Pulisic 80’) - Dembele, Kagawa, Reus – Aubameyang

Coach: Thomas Tuchel

Watch: BVB's Marco Reus was disappointed with the result in Augsburg

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