In front of 500 spectators at the Rote Erde, Borussia Dortmund's U23s and VfB Homberg shared the spoils after a 2-2 draw. After the away side had led 2-0, Dominik Wanner got one back for the home side on 63 minutes before Tobias Raschl equalised after 79 minutes. The point takes BVB back to the top of the table and things are looking good for promotion to the third division.

The scenario: After 0-0 draw in Rödinghausen, RW Essen overtook BVB again. The Black and Yellows, however, still have two games in hand and could go back top on Saturday afternoon. Homberg are in the middle of a relegation battle and need every point they can get to stay up.

Personnel matters: There were four changes from the game in Rödinghausen, with Haymenn Bah-Traore, Richmond Tachie, Albin Thaqi and Patrick Osterhage coming into the starting eleven.

The match: Borussia Dortmund went into the match on the offensive as usual and the first chance fell to Tobi Raschl after three minutes. A few moments later, only a last ditch block stopped Steffen Tigges from opening the scoring. Homberg defended in a compact 5-4-1 system and waited to hit BVB on the counter. VfB rarely came out of their own half and only managed two shots from distance in the first half an hour.

BVB, on the other hand, kept the ball well and set a good pace, but did not manage many more shots in the middle of the first half. Richmond Tachie failed to beat the away side's goalkeeper Gutkowski from a tight angle on 32 minutes. Ten minutes before the break, Homberg had the first big chance. In the 1-on-1 between Luca Unbehaun and Said Harouz, the Dortmund stopper came out on top and was able to parry the shot from just inside the box. Homberg's first good period, however, continued and the away team took a 1-0 lead shortly afterwards thanks to Kingsley Marcinek's goal on 38 minutes. It turned the game on its head. BVB went into the half-time break with a one goal deficit.

The Black and Yellows came out of the dressing room with renewed vigour and were looking to overturn the deficit as quickly as possible. Just a few minutes after the restart, striker Richmond Tachie fired narrowly wide. In the middle of BVB's bright period, Homberg managed to put together another meaningful attack. Danny Rankl met a cross with a header that gave Luca Unbehaun no chance in the Dortmund goal, giving the away team a 2-0 lead. BVB coach Enrico Maaßen responded immediately and brought on another attacker in Cebrail Makreckis.

Homberg defended even more deeply and made it really difficult for BVB, but the Black and Yellows used the full width of the pitch and pulled one back through Dominik Wanner in the 63rd minute. It came from Richmond Tachie's cross to the far post. Now the roars of the 500 spectators at the Rote Erde could be heard loud and clear, urging the young Dortmund team forward. BVB threw everything at their opposition, besieging the Homberg penalty area and peppering the Homberg goal with dangerous shots. Yet the equalizer about ten minutes before the end of the match came from a set-piece situation, Tobi Raschl scoring a direct free-kick from the edge of the penalty area to make it 2-2. However, even the five minutes of injury time could not produce in a winner. BVB nevertheless went back to the top of the table and go into the final week of the season level on points, but with one game in hand.

Reactions to the game:

Enrico Maaßen: "Of course, we would have liked to have won – that goes without saying. In the end, I am very pleased with the way my young team came back after conceding two unfortunate goals. That was certainly not easy. We put a lot into it. It is all very close, but we are now where we want to be at the end. That is very positive."

Dominik Wanner: "We made it very hard for ourselves in the beginning. When you let in two goals, you have to be mentally strong to come back quickly. We are still in a very good position. It was a great feeling to have the fans back."

Outlook: Tuesday will see the final home game of the season, when bottom of the table SV Bergisch Gladbach come to the Rote Erde. Kick-off is at 19:30 CET.

Team & goals

BVB U23s: Unbehaun, Bah-Traore (Makreckis, 54), Bakir, Tachie (Knauff, 86), Tigges, Thaqi, Finnsson, Pan, Dams, Osterhage (Wanner, 46), Raschl

Goals: 0-1 Marcinek (38), 0-2 Rankl (52), 1-2 Wanner (63), 2-2 Raschl (79)