Marco Reus hits last-minute equaliser to salvage 1-1 draw

Boris Rupert reporting from Cologne

The 50,000 fans at the Rhein-Energie-Stadion provided a superb and atmospheric setting as the two teams played out a hard-fought encounter on a slippery pitch. The hosts went in front in the 28th minute thanks to Rudnevs' header, while the visitors dominated but could not make the breakthrough until the 90th minute, when Dembélé combined with Ramos to set up Reus. It was the tenth time BVB have scored in the last 15 minutes of a match – a league record.

The scenario: 
Despite winning eight matches in a row against 1. FC Köln between 2008 and 2012, BVB have failed to pick up a single victory over the Billy Goats in the last two seasons (two draws, two defeats). Form was not on the hosts' side going into this one between the Bundesliga's sixth and seventh-placed sides, with Köln winning only one of the last four. BVB, on the other hand, had won three of their previous four matches and suffered just one defeat in their last seven outings.

Personnel matters: 
The hosts were without Horn, Maroh, Bittencourt, Lehmann, Zoller and Risse, but Modeste, who had been a doubt before kick-off, started. BVB, who were without Bürki, Götze, Guerreiro, Sahin, Bender und Subotic, made three changes to the team that drew 2-2 away in Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, bringing in Durm, Ginter, and Reus to replace Pulisic, Bartra and Schürrle in the starting XI.

Tactics: 
As they did in their 4-1 home victory over Gladbach a week ago, Borussia took to the field in a 3-4-3 formation in which Durm (right) and Schmelzer (left) – albeit only occasionally – dropped back into defence alongside Piszczek, Sokratis and Ginter to expand the back three into a back four or a back five. Schmelzer in particular played high up the pitch. Weigl and Castro took up a central position in front of the defence, while Dembélé and Reus drifted inwards and operated just behind Aubameyang. Without the ball, Köln adopted a 5-3-2 system in which Olkowski and Hector often expanded the back three into a back five, with Osako, Höger and Özcan forming the central midfield. When in possession the hosts switched to a 3-4-1-2 with Osako in the playmaker position behind the two strikers Rudnevs and Modeste.

The match & analysis:
Borussia's attack – which has the most goals, the most major chances and the best scoring ratio (six shots per goal) in the league – posed a threat on several occasions in the opening stages. Reus came close to opening the scoring as early as the second minute when Dembélé cut the ball back from the byline but he lost his footing on the slippery surface and failed to make the connection. Borussia did find the back of the net in the ninth minute after excellent link-up play from Dembélé and Reus but goalscorer Aubameyang was offside and the goal was disallowed.

Köln, who went into the game on an eight-match unbeaten run at home that started eight months ago, had a big chance in the third minute when Özcan narrowly missed following Rudnevs' cutback. The visitors got better at dealing with Borussia's offensive play after the opening quarter of an hour, giving away less at the back before pouncing in attack when Rudnevs headed home a Hector free-kick in the 28th minute. Remarkably, Köln have only scored nine goals from corners or free-kicks in their 81 games since returning to the top flight in 2014.

BVB had been forced into an early substitution directly before conceding, bringing on Bartra in place of Piszczek, who could be seen clutching his groin several times (26). It could have potentially been one of the reasons why the visitors didn't have their marking covered two minutes later when Rudnevs headed home.

The Black and Yellows didn't really make their mark in the second half either, with the clash in Müngersdorf a chaotic one containing lots of fouls. Borussia did have 68 percent possession after 68 minutes, winning more of the challenges and having more shots on goal (eight to Köln's six), but they didn't manage to create any promising goalscoring chances. Instead it was Modeste who came close to doubling the hosts' lead on the counter but he hit the side-netting (50).

Dortmund did not really threaten until Reus' shot in the 74th minute, which was cleared away for a corner by Kessler. Shortly afterwards there could and should have been a spot-kick given for handball in the Köln box but referee Zwayer waved away the claims.

Then, in the 90th minute, Dembélé got the better off Rausch and played the ball down the right to Ramos, who cut it back from the byline to Reus, and the midfielder drilled home the leveller from 11 metres to make sure BVB left the Rhineland with at least a point.

Prospects: 
There are now two matches remaining until the winter break. The first comes on Friday when BVB travel to TSG Hoffenheim, before they play host to FC Augsburg at Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday 20 December.

Teams & goals