3rd matchday
With a filling jug debut: BVB is embarrassed against Heidenheim
BVB couldn’t get past a 2-2 draw against Heidenheim on Niclas Füllkrug’s debut. photo
© Bernd Thissen/dpa
After a quarter of an hour the game seems to be over, Borussia Dortmund leads 2-0 against Heidenheim. But BVB gambled away the win and helped the promoted team to their first Bundesliga point.
After the next disappointment was the patience of the fans of Borussia Dortmund torn. With a loud whistling concert, the black and yellow supporters acknowledged the embarrassing 2:2 (2:0) against promoted 1. FC Heidenheim.
Instead of going into the international break with a mandatory win and the lead in the table at the debut of Niclas Füllkrug, who had been committed the day before, BVB are in a mood of crisis after the third matchday. Heidenheim, on the other hand, got the very first point in the Bundesliga on the third day of the game.
“We mostly beat ourselves in the second half,” said goalscorer Julian Brandt afterwards at DAZN: “Goals like that break our necks.” And in the build-up game they made “wild mistakes”.
Brandt (7th) and the new BVB captain Emre Can (15th, hand penalty) had provided an actually reassuring lead early on. After many wasted chances, at the latest after the connection goal by Eren Dinkci (61st), the big fear started. A penalty kick from Tim Kleindienst (82nd) after a chaotic video check finally sealed the surprise.
BVB with only five points from three games
The fact that BVB was unbeaten on the first three match days for the first time in five years, unbeaten in 17 home games and even 33 home games on a Friday evening – hardly anyone was interested in all of that. Dortmund lags behind the claims with only five points from three games.
Even without a filling pitcher, who, like ex-captain Marco Reus, was initially on the bench, BVB took over early on, but quickly took the lead thanks to two lucky coincidences. Heidenheim’s unlucky ones were, of all things, two former Dortmund players. First, captain Patrick Mainka, who had played for BVB’s second team from 2016 to 2018, shot at Can when trying to clear, the ball fell at Brandt’s feet, who reacted quickly and shot the lower edge of the crossbar and the goal with his left. Referee Tobias Reichel only checked briefly whether the ball had hit Can’s arm and awarded the goal.
Then Lennard Maloney, who had even played twice for the professionals during his time for the BVB reserve from 2020 to 2022, hit the ball on his hand. The TV pictures were clear and Can converted his sixth Bundesliga penalty for the sixth time.
Malen and Adeyemi miss the best chances
The Heidenheimer were lucky not to be much higher behind at the break. Marcel Sabitzer (19′) and Donyell Malen (28′) missed out on FCH keeper Kevin Müller, Karim Adeyemi, who was in the starting XI for the first time this season, narrowly missed after a cross from Malen (26′), the strong Malen shot over ( 43.).
The guests only had their first really dangerous action in the penalty area after the break, but striker Kleindienst missed the ball (48′). When Mainka even scored three minutes later, the goal was not given because of a handball after a minute-long check. On the other side Malen (55th), Adeyemi (57th) and Ramy Bensebaini (58th) awarded the decision. And suddenly Dinkci scored for the increasingly brave guests.
It got chaotic fifteen minutes before the end: Sébastien Haller stumbled the ball and knocked down former Dortmund player Jan-Niklas Beste in the penalty area. Reichel gave a penalty, initially recognized it after video evidence because of a previous offside position. Then he looked at the pictures himself, gave the goal after almost six minutes and showed Haller, who had meanwhile been replaced by Füllkrug, on the bench for the foul.