Borussia Dortmund lost 3-2 to Bayer Leverkusen in an entertaining encounter at Signal Iduna Park.
Despite a spirited second-half comeback, Dortmund’s defensive errors in the early stages proved costly as Leverkusen’s clinical finishing helped them secure all three points in this Bundesliga clash.
The match started with a bang as Bayer Leverkusen took the initiative almost immediately. Nathan Tella opened the scoring in the first minute with a superb right-footed strike into the top left corner following a well-timed header from Robert Andrich.
Dortmund, caught off guard, struggled to regain their footing before Leverkusen doubled the lead seven minutes later.
Patrik Schick found space in the box and fired a right-footed shot into the top right corner after an assist from Piero Hincapie.
Dortmund responded in the 12th minute through Jamie Gittens, whose precise left-footed strike from close range brought the hosts back into the contest.
Start 2025 with a W! 😮💨
90+5′ | 2-3 | #BVBB04 pic.twitter.com/fGfVh4yEMT
– Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) January 10, 2025
However, their hopes of tying the match were short-lived. Leverkusen’s relentless attack continued and Schick struck again in the 19th minute, scoring a calm left-footed finish after being set up by Jérémie Frimpong.
The second half saw a determined Dortmund side look to come back.
Maximilian Beier and Karim Adeyemi tested Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, but their efforts were either saved or narrowly wide.
A pivotal moment occurred in the 75th minute when Julien Duranville was fouled in the box by Edmond Tapsoba, prompting a VAR review which resulted in a penalty for Dortmund.
Serhou Guirassy stepped up and calmly converted the penalty, reducing the deficit to 3-2.
The closing stages saw frenetic action as Dortmund threw everything forward in search of an equalizer.
Substitute Donyell Malen saw a chance blocked in the 93rd minute, and Felix Nmecha’s late effort from midfield added more drama.
Tempers flared in the final moments of the match, with Nmecha receiving a yellow card for a careless foul on Florian Wirtz in added time.
Despite relentless pressure from Dortmund, Leverkusen managed to hold on, securing a hard-fought victory for Xabi Alonso.
