AAP Soccer

Borussia Dortmund suffer another Bundesliga setback

By AAP Newswire

Dec 17, 2023

Dortmund goalscorer Donyell Malen (centre) in action against Augsburg. — Goalscorer Donyell Malen (centre) goes close for Borussia Dortmund in their 1-1 draw at Augsburg. -EPA

Borussia Dortmund have suffered another domestic setback, held 1-1 at Augsburg just days after topping a Champions League group above Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Newcastle.

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Ermedin Demirovic held off Schlotterbeck's challenge - arguably with a shove - to fire Augsburg into a 23rd-minute lead before Donyell Malen played a one-two with Niclas Fullkrug to equalise 10 minutes before halftime.

Augsburg missed three good chances early in the second half before Dortmund coach Edin Terzic sent on Gio Reyna for Marco Reus, then the 19-year-old Samuel Bamba for his Bundesliga debut, but Dortmund were unable to grab a winner.

"We said before the game that we want and need to get six points in the remaining two games (of 2023)," Terzic said.

"It's not an easy game to explain because we did a lot of things well, we didn't like some things, and in the end it's 1-1 and we have to live with that."

The draw brought Dortmund's third straight Bundesliga game without a win, and a fifth across all competitions.

Terzic's team has won only one of their last seven Bundesliga matches.

"Complaining doesn't help," Terzic said of his team's busy schedule at home and in Europe.

"It's a matter of moving forward again and showing that we also accept this challenge. And we will face that.

"Hopefully we can reward our fans in the last home game (of 2023) on Tuesday."

Fuelled by chocolate from supporters' protests, Takuma Asano scored to set up Bochum's 3-0 win over visiting Union Berlin in their duel at the lower end of the table.

The Japan forward grabbed a chocolate coin that was among many thrown onto the field by fans protesting the league's plans to bring in an outside investor, unwrapped the gold foil and ate the chocolate inside.

Then Asano broke the deadlock in first-half injury time by firing Bochum ahead.

Goncalo Paciencia and Kevin Stoger - with a penalty - scored in the second half to deal Union their first league defeat under new coach Nenad Bjelica.

Emil Forsberg scored four minutes after coming on as a substitute in Leipzig's 3-1 win over Hoffenheim in his last home appearance for the club.

The 32-year-old is expected to join sister club New York Red Bulls in the US in January.

Lovro Majer's second-half goal was enough for 10-man Wolfsburg to beat Darmstadt 1-0, while Marvin Pieringer scored to give Heidenheim a 1-0 win in Mainz.