1-1 in the battle for second between BVB and Leipzig | OneFootball

The scenario:   Both teams had gone into the game on a run of four league wins. BVB were unbeaten in 13 Bundesliga matches, stretching back to the end of last season (11 wins, two draws).

Personnel matters:  After the Champions League match against Bilbao, Nico Schlotterbeck, Yan Couto, Maximilian Beier and Felix Nmecha moved into the starting lineup, replacing Niklas Süle, Julian Ryerson, Jobe Bellingham and Carney Chukwuemeka, meaning BVB started with almost the same team as in their last league game. The only change from the Mainz victory was the return of striker Serhou Guirassy, who had dropped out at short notice in Mainz. The BVB striker replaced Julian Brandt, who dropped to the bench. Aaron Anselmino, Emre Can and Julien Duranville missed the game, as did Cole Campbell, who had been called up to the American squad for the U20s World Cup.

Tactics:The Black & Yellows set up in their usual 3-4-3 formation against opposition who lined up in an attacking 4-1-2-3 formation, and almost exclusively played fast, high balls forward up to the front five, with Seiwald their only defensive midfielder on the pitch.

The match & analysis:The match was played at a high intensity from the start, with high pressing from both sides and Borussia were able to win the ball high up the pitch on numerous occasions. But against the Leipzig team, who immediately pressed themselves, the next pass often failed to find a teammate. This in turn resulted in opportunities on transition for the opposition, such as in the sixth minute. Schlotterbeck could only stop Romelu by fouling him just past the halfway line, and was booked for doing so. BVB failed to clear the resulting free-kick, played short by Raum to Seiwald. Instead, Ouédraogo played the ball in from the left of the front five, and Baumgartner reacted faster than everyone in Black & Yellow. For Kobel, it was the first goal he had conceded in 367 minutes.

Borussia had more of the game, but it took until the 23rd minute for BVB to create a proper chance in front of the Leipzig goal for the first time. Bensebaini found spaced on the inside left in front of the box and picked out the run of Beier, who cut it back to Guirassy. His path to goal was blocked, so Guirassy laid the ball across to Couto about ten metres out, who fired a low left-footed strike into the bottom right corner to make it 1-1.

Leipzig continued to hunt the ball down with great intensity, hardly allowing BVB any time and, above all, hardly any space to set up their attacks. If they had the ball themselves, the Saxons immediately played the ball forward and advanced with their entire front line. They won the majority of the duels, and the back four all won at least three quarters of their duels – at least until injury time in the first half, when Borussia were able to play their way through, and Adeyemi was only prevented from scoring at the last moment by Raum six yards out in front of goal, and shots from Beier and Nmecha on the follow-up were blocked.

Leipzig looked more alert at the beginning of the second half. Ouédraogo had a chance on the follow-up two minutes after the restart – and went agonisingly close for the away side. Before and after that, there was a flurry of activity in the BVB penalty area. At the other end, Guirassy was denied by Gulacsi after a Couto cut-back in the 51st minute. Overall, however, the Black & Yellows gave back too many hard-won balls too quickly, because their passes were not as successful as in the preceding duels.

The game was totally balanced as a result, and much of the game took place outside the penalty areas. Two shots from Baumgartner opened up the final phase – the first one narrowly missed the target in the 77th, while Kobel saved the other three minutes later. At the other end, BVB substitute Groß cut the ball back to fellow substitute Bellingham, but Raum cleared the ball for corner as the BVB man waited to strike around the penalty spot in the 82nd minute. Brandt’s header back across Gulacsi’s goal narrowly missed the target in the 88th minute. Borussia pressed for a winner until the final whistle, but did not manage to break through again for a winner.

Outlook:  The Bundesliga is going on a break for the second time in the still young season as players link up with their national teams. BVB will next play in Munich on 18 October, before a trip to Copenhagen and a home game against Cologne.Boris Rupert

Teams & goals

Football Bundesliga, Matchday 6 Matchday

Saturday 4 October 2025, 15:30 CETBORUSSIA DORTMUND – LEIPZIG  1-1 (1-1)

Bor. Dortmund: Kobel – Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini – Couto (Ryerson, 60), Sabitzer, Nmecha (Bellingham, 70), Svensson – Adeyemi (Brandt, 70), Guirassy (Fabio Silva, 81), Beier (Groß, 81)Leipzig: Gulacsi – Baku, Orban, Lukeba, Raum – Seiwald – Ouédraogo (Banzuzi, 67), Baumgartner – Bakayoko (Harder, 89), Romulo (90+2 Maksimovic), Nusa (Diomande, 67)Bench: Meyer, Süle, Chukwuemeka, Özcan – Vandevoordt, Bitshiabu, Klostermann, Haidara, Gomis Goals: 0-1 Baumgartner (7, Ouédraogo), 1-1 Couto (23, Guirassy)Corners: 7-7 (half-time: 1-1), Shots: 6-4 (2-1)Referee: Stegemann (Niederkassel), Yellow cards: Schlotterbeck – Baumgartner, Baku, BanzuziAttendance: 81,365 (sold out), Weather: Sunny, rain, clouds; 12 degrees