Dortmund’s goalie hails team fighting spirit in late draw against Leipzig

Borussia Dortmund slipped further behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga title chase but demonstrated remarkable resilience by battling back for a late draw against RB Leipzig.

Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel praised Borussia Dortmund’s fighting spirit following their comeback from a deficit to secure a dramatic last-minute draw against RB Leipzig. 

Christoph Baumgartner netted twice in the opening half, giving Leipzig a commanding lead. However, an own goal by Romulo shortly after the interval halved the advantage for Dortmund.

The visitors then clinched a vital point when Fabio Silva found the net in the 95th minute, capping off the recovery. 

Despite the result, Dortmund have now fallen eight points adrift of league leaders Bayern Munich. The team remains unbeaten across their past 16 top-division matches, marking their longest such streak since the period between April and October 2023, which spanned 17 games.

Kobel emphasized Dortmund’s tenacity, stating that it would prove crucial moving forward as they strive to maintain pressure on Bayern. 

The Dortmund goalie acknowledged that Leipzig is capable of playing excellent football pointing out that both goals conceded were quite similar. 

Nevertheless, he noted that the team displayed a robust response and clawed their way back into the contest, expressing regret that they were unable to secure a victory.

In terms of statistics, Dortmund registered 11 shots amounting to 1.6 expected goals (xG) and recorded 25 touches inside the opposition penalty area, figures that trailed behind Leipzig’s performance. 

The home side, who have squandered 18 points from leading positions this season, unleashed 13 shots valued at 1.9 xG against Kobel’s goal, though only three were on target, and none occurred after halftime.

Coach Niko Kovac conceded that Dortmund had difficulty handling their opponents’ offensive threats prior to the break but commended the significant improvement exhibited by his squad in the second half.

Dortmund next stop is in Bergamo Italy for the UEFA Champions league second leg against Atalanta. The Black and Yellow side secured a 2-0 win in the first leg as they hope to progress to the round of 16.