Mesut Özil gave the hosts the lead with a measured volley what was a relatively even first half, but Lucas Barrios' fifth strike in as many games was enough for Jürgen Klopp's visitors to take a respectable point home from a ground which has been far from kind to them in recent seasons.

Early initiative

Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf made two changes to the side which overcame Austria Wien in the Europa League in midweek, with Sebastian Boenisch coming in at the back for Petri Pasanen and Hugo Almeida partnering Marko Marin in attack. Jürgen Klopp stuck with the same side that beat bottom club Hertha BSC last weekend, save for Felipe Santana replacing the injured Sven Bender.

It was the home side who showed the early initiative, their first effort on goal coming from rising star Mesut Özil after just two minutes. The young German fired goalwards after getting on the end of a Hugo Almeida knock-down, but the save was a striaghtforward one for Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller. Just four minutes later and the visitors were gifted their first opening when Tim Borowski's stray pass found the feet of Nelson Valdez, the Paraguayan hitman's strike flying comfortably wide of the right-hand upright.

Özil puts Bremen ahead

A fairly even period followed, with Bremen belying their recent good form with a distinct lack of ideas in the final third, the well-organised Borussia defence easily dealing with the home side's laboured approach play. Indeed, the match was littered with inaccurate passing and a plethora of offside decisions. Chances were few and far between.

That was until the 36th minute, when a Neven Subotic headed clearance was picked up by Joachim Löw's latest addition to the Germany squad, Aaron Hunt. The tricky winger left both Dede and Santana for dead before sending a driven cross into the area, where Özil arrived right on cue to send a considered volley past the helpless Weidenfeller and put Bremen into the lead.

Barrios scores again

With the first half coming to a close, Bremen almost nicked a second when Per Mertesacker deflected goalwards, only to see the ball hacked off the line by Dortmund striker Mohamed Zidan. At the other end, Nuri Sahin sent a sizzling free kick goalwards in first half stoppage time, but Tim Wiese did superbly to parry over to preserve his side's slender lead at the break. In fairness, it had been a fairly level match in terms of attacking possession, and only a moment of skill from Werder's new hope had proven the difference.

Jürgen Klopp would have been pleased at his side's reaction after the restart. Just eight minutes into the second period and the men in black and yellow had the ball in the net when Lucas Barrios finished off a sweeping move, only to see his strike ruled out for offside. It was a decision that baffled the travelling support, but moments later they were rewarded for their patience. A high ball into the box was collected and volleyed towards Wiese's goal, the Germany international shot-stopper parrying the venomous drive straight into the danger zone, where the grateful Lucas Barrios popped up to stab home his fifth in as many Bundesliga games.

Subotic misses a sitter

Stunned by the equaliser, Bremen fulcrum Özil immediately went in search of a response but his twisting foray into the Dortmund box took one too many turns when really he should have had a pop with his weaker right foot. Marko Marin tried his luck from distance as the hour mark came and went, though his right foot strike was tame enough for Weidenfeller to grasp with relative ease.

With the game now well and truly open, Neven Subotic missed a glaring opportunity to put the visitors in front when he lashed over a volley following a deep cross from the right, but Dortmund were at least beginning to show some verve in midfield. Of particular note were the energetic runs of Polish international Jakub Blaszczykowski which gave added freshness to a truly passionate affair.

Late Valdez chance

Bremen had calls for a penalty saved away when Marin was brought down in the 81st minute by Santana, though they barely had time to draw breath as Valdez beat the offside trap at the other end, only to see his quickly dispatched shot expertly denied by Wiese. That proved to be the final chance in what will go down as a fervent game of football between two sides who in the end both deserved to take something from the clash.

Thomas Schaaf's Bremen thus add a draw to their impressive string of home results, though they miss the chance to close the gap on Leverkusen at the top to a single point. They remain in second, while Dortmund move one point ahead of Hannover 96 in ninth spot, three behind eighth-placed Bayern München.


Bremen: Wiese - Fritz, Mertesacker, Naldo, Boenisch - Bargfrede - Borowski, Hunt - Özil - Marin (Rosenberg 70'), Hugo Almeida (Husejinovic 89')

Dortmund: Weidenfeller - Owomoyela, Subotic, Felipe Santana, Dede - Hummels, Sahin - Blaszczykowski (K. Grosskreutz 88'), Zidan (Feulner 55'), Valdez (Schmelzer 88') - Barrios

Goals: 1-0 Özil (36'), 1-1 Barrios (54')

Attendance: 34000 (sold out)


Andy James