Dortmund stunned by late Heidenheim fightback

Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Heidenheim
Goals: 1-0 Brandt 7' (assist: Can), 2-0 Can 15' (pen.), 2-1 Dinkci 61' (assist: Theuerkauf), 2-2 Kleindienst 82' (pen.) 

Dortmund started brightly in front of their vociferous home support, with Julian Brandt sending them into a seventh-minute lead when he volleyed home on the turn. His left-footed attempt, which crashed in off the bar, survived a VAR review after Emre Can appeared to have handballed in the build-up. Can - who replaced Marco Reus as Dortmund captain at the start of the season - then got his own name on the scoresheet. Former BVB youngster Lennard Maloney conceded a penalty, and Can stepped up to send Kevin Müller the wrong way. Marcel Sabitzer then had a pair of chances to pull Dortmund further clear, but he was shut down by Müller before sending a Donyell Malen cutback wide, and it was 2-0 at the break. 

Heidenheim came close to an equaliser at the start of the second half when Kleindienst volleyed Dinkci's lofted ball forward straight into Gregor Kobel's gloves. Former Dortmund reserve player Patrick Mainka then found the back of the net with a header, but it was ruled out for another handball, this time from Marvin Pieringer in the build-up. There was no keeping Dinkci out on the hour, though, with his volley from the edge of the box making it 2-1. Heidenheim got back on level terms with a late penalty, Kleindienst converting after Sebastien Haller had fouled Jan-Niklas Beste. New signing Niclas Füllkrug had replaced Haller soon after the foul but he couldn't impact the game and it ended 2-2.

Match stats

• Brandt scored his first goal of the season. He was Dortmund's most potent attacking force last term with nine goals and eight assists.
• BVB have failed to win only two of 12 Bundesliga home games in 2023 - the other exception being the costly 2-2 draw with Mainz on the final day of last season.
• Kept quiet today, Malen had scored both of Dortmund's previous goals this season. His 11 Bundesliga strikes in 2023 is the most of any player in the division.
• Dinkci's strike was his first in the Bundesliga since December 2020, when he got the only goal of the game in Werder Bremen's 1-0 win over Mainz.
• Beste got the first Bundesliga goal in Heidenheim's history last weekend. Like Maloney, he's a former Dortmund youth player (2007-18) and made his senior debut in BVB colours in 2017.
• Like RB Leipzig in 2016 and Union Berlin in 2019, Heidenheim are the third straight Bundesliga newcomers to earn their first-ever top-flight point against Dortmund.

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Watch: Emre Can calls for Dortmund togetherness

Teams

Dortmund: Kobel - Wolf, Süle, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini - Sabitzer, Can (c) - Malen, Brandt, Adeyemi (Nmecha 64') - Haller (Füllkrug 78')
Unused subs: Meyer, Hummels, Ryerson, Özcan, Reus, Bynoe-Gittens, Moukoko
Out: Duranville (thigh), Meunier (hamstring), Reyna (foot)
Coach: Edin Terzic 

Heidenheim: Müller - Traore, Mainka (c), Siersleben, Theuerkauf - Maloney - Dinkci (Pick 90'), Thomalla (Pieringer 46'), Beste (Sessa 90'+11) - Kleindienst, Beck (Dovedan 62')
Unused subs: Eicher, Schöppner, Gimber, Keller, Schimmer
Out: Busch (muscular), Föhrenbach (ill), Qenaj (cruciate ligament)
Coach: Frank Schmidt 

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