Bruun Larsen returns to deny Dortmund victory with late goal for Hoffenheim
BERLIN (AP) — Jacob Bruun Larsen scored late on his return to former club Borussia Dortmund to earn Hoffenheim a 1-1 draw in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
Gio Reyna’s first goal of the season looked to be enough for Dortmund’s seventh league win, but Hoffenheim substitute Bruun Larsen scored in the first minute of stoppage time when Dortmund’s defense switched off for Haris Tabaković’s cross.
The 26-year-old Bruun Larsen – who played for Dortmund 2015-20 with a five-month stint in Stuttgart – fired the ball inside the left post. He didn’t celebrate, though his teammates did.
“If I’d played from the start, maybe it would have been two goals,” Bruun Larsen said of having to start on the substitutes’ bench.
Reyna scored after the break, when he stopped an attempted clearance with his chest, then rifled the ball inside the top right corner.
The 22-year-old American made his first start of the season Wednesday in Dortmund’s 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the Champions League, and Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin evidently felt he had done enough to merit another start four days later.
In the first half, Serhou Guirassy thought he’d won a penalty when he fell under a slight touch from Brazilian defender Arthur Chaves. Referee Harm Osmers changed his mind after consulting video replays. Guirassy was arguably fortunate not to be booked for diving.
Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck played the full match despite going off with what looked a serious injury against Barcelona.
Dortmund dropped to eighth after dropping points for the eighth time in 14 league games.
Stuttgart stable
Stuttgart won at Heidenheim 3-1 in the early game to climb two places to sixth. Stuttgart, which finished runner-up last season, had a shaky start to the league and Champions League but has now strung together four wins across all competitions by scoring at least three goals in each.
Heidenheim is arguably paying the price for its success as a promoted team last season, when it qualified for the Conference League. Frank Schmidt’s team is in the Bundesliga’s relegation zone after seven defeats across all competitions.
Leipzig bounces back
Loïs Openda steered Leipzig to a 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the team's first game since its Champions League hopes were ended on Tuesday.
Frankfurt's defenders left Openda alone to score after Christoph Baumgartner headed on a corner in the 51st, giving Leipzig back-to-back league and cup wins over Frankfurt. Its cup win over Frankfurt on Dec. 4 ended a six-game run without a win across all competitions.
Leipzig's 3-2 loss at home to Aston Villa on Tuesday ended its Champions League ambitions after losing every game so far in Europe's top club competition.
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