Borussia Dortmund’s U23s will play in the 3rd division again next season.
The team of coach Jan Zimmermann came to a 3:3 (1:1) at Erzgebirge Aue on Monday evening and thus got the decisive point to be able to mathematically not slip to a relegation zone.
Two games before the end of the season, BVB is in 14th place in the table, seven points ahead of the first relegation zone.
Eberwein counters Besong
The home side scored the first big opportunity of the game in the 5th minute. Dimitrij Nazarov carried a low cross from close range past the Dortmund goal. After that, BVB became bolder and had their first good opportunity with a header from Ted Tattermusch, which Martin Männel was just able to defuse (9′).
It went back and forth in the period that followed, but without all the big chances. Until Aue completed a perfectly played counterattack with Paul-Philipp Besong making it 1-0 in the 26th minute. BVB tried to equalize and got their reward in the 39th minute. Michael Eberwein completed a well-played attack by the guests after a hacking Vorkage by Tattermusch with the equalizer (39th).
Dortmund gambled away two tours
Shortly after the change of sides, Dortmund had turned the game. Aues Sam Schreck was only able to deflect a sharp cross from Tom Rothe into his own goal in front of Eberwein, who was ready to score (47′). A few minutes later, BVB should have made it 3-1, but Justin Nijnmah decided to go it alone on a counterattack instead of putting his two teammates in the limelight and only hit one defender (52nd).
Instead, Aue scored an equalizer from substitute Borys Tashchy, who shot free from a corner and made it 2-2 (63′). Dortmund survived the following phase of pressure from the Auer and then took the lead again. Justin Nijnmah hit a soulful lob over Männel in the 74th minute to make it 3:2. But again, BVB couldn’t keep the lead and conceded the equalizer through Besong (85′).
Lotka captures the point
Aue increased the pressure again in the final minutes and Dortmund countered. Nijnmah missed a good opportunity to score the winning goal in the 90th minute. On the other hand, Maxi Thiel had another great chance with a direct free kick, which Marcel Lotka thwarted in the BVB goal (90 + 3). Shortly thereafter, the Dortmund goalkeeper held again against Antonio Jonjic. In the end, Dortmund saved the decisive point for staying up in the league over time.
