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POST TIME: 24 November, 2019 00:00 00 AM
Dormund salvage a draw with underdogs Paderborn
AFP, Berlin

Dormund salvage a draw with underdogs Paderborn

Dortmund’s English midfielder Jadon Sancho (L) is congratulated by teammate German forward Julian Brandt after scoring the 1-3 during the Bundesliga football match against Paderborn in Dortmund on Friday. AFP Photo

Borussia Dortmund captain Marco Reus equalised in added time to salvage a 3-3 draw at home to Bundesliga bottom side Paderborn as Friday's shock result left Dortmund coach Lucien Favre under pressure. Dortmund, who face Barcelona away on Wednesday in the Champions League, were 3-0 down at half-time at Signal Iduna Park and out-played before launching a second-half fight back. “We have to apologise to our fans for that performance, especially in the first-half,” said a visibly shaken Reus.

“We can never play like that again at home, it was really shit. It's not on. “I have no idea what that was all about from us in the first-half.” Paderborn striker Streli Mamba ran riot with two goals in the opening 45 minutes before winger Gerrit Holtmann grabbed the visitor's third just before the break. It was a different story in the second-half as England winger Jadon Sancho gave Dortmund hope before Axel Witsel, then Reus both headed late goals to poach a point.

The draw leaves Dortmund fifth in the table, but they could finish the weekend eight points behind leaders Borussia Moenchengladbach, who are at mid-table FC Union Berlin on Saturday. Having been drubbed 4-0 away at Bayern Munich before the international break, Dortmund were guilty of woeful defending in the first-half to put Favre in a precarious position. Hosts Dortmund were behind with five minutes gone when Paderborn winger Kai Proeger out-sprinted, then rode the tackle of Germany international Nico Schulz on the right flank.

With the Dortmund defence shredded, Proeger passed inside for Mamba to tap home and silence home fans. In response Dortmund pushed forward, but were punished for defending high up the pitch when Paderborn forward Ben Zolinski lifted the ball over the defence. Mamba outsprinted Germany defender Julian Weigl to fire Paderborn 2-0 up on 37 minutes. The visitor's third goal came two minutes before the break when Dortmund's Belgium Axel Witsel lost possession and Holtmann sprinted clear of Weigl to fire past home goalkeeper Roman Buerki.