Borussia Dortmund clung on to earn a 1-1 draw with Freiburg at Europa-Park Stadion despite playing with 10 men for almost 45 minutes following Jobe Bellingham's red card.
2025/2026 Bundesliga
1-1
Match Report
Bellingham was sent off for a professional last-man foul in the 53rd minute with Dortmund 1-0 up, and though they were pegged back by Lucas Holer's stunning goal, Niko Kovac's men navigated a finale featuring seven minutes of stoppage time.
Gregor Kobel took a share of the blame for Bellingham's dismissal, having sold the former Sunderland midfielder short with his pass out from the back.
Philipp Treu took the ball off Bellingham's toes and was promptly brought down by the 20-year-old, who was shown a straight red card by Felix Zwayer.
Dortmund had gone ahead via Ramy Bensebaini's close-range finish from Yan Couto's 31st-minute free-kick, while Carney Chukwuemeka also struck the post for the visitors.
Freiburg bossed proceedings after Bellingham's sending off, and they drew level when Holer flicked Christian Gunter's cross into the air, then hit a sensational scissor kick beyond Kobel.
The hosts thought they had won it late on through Igor Matanovic, but after a VAR review, Maximilian Eggestein was ruled to be offside inside a busy penalty area.
While Dortmund missed the chance to leapfrog RB Leipzig into second and remain nine points adrift of Bayern Munich, Freiburg stay ninth.
Heading back home with a point. pic.twitter.com/rtOjZNU3qh
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) December 14, 2025
Data Debrief: Undermanned Dortmund hold on
This was Bellingham's second red card in 153 senior career appearances, having been sent off once in 126 matches in England, for Sunderland against QPR in November 2024.
And his dismissal left BVB in a spot of bother, with Freiburg ending the game with 21 shots to the visitors' nine and up 1.51 to 0.93 in the expected goals (xG) battle.
Dortmund held on for a point, though, meaning they have only lost one of their last 22 Bundesliga matches (15 wins, six draws). Only Bayern (zero) have suffered fewer defeats across Europe's top five leagues since this run began in March.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
5' Highlight from Freiburg vs Dortmund
11' Highlight from Freiburg vs Dortmund
17' Highlight from Freiburg vs Dortmund
21' Highlight from Freiburg vs Dortmund
31' GOAL! Freiburg 0-1 Dortmund (Ramy Bensebaini)
52' Match Event for Freiburg vs Dortmund
53' Red Card! Jobe Bellingham sent off
69' Match Event for Freiburg vs Dortmund
75' GOAL! Freiburg 1-1 Dortmund (Lucas Höler)
86' Match Event for Freiburg vs Dortmund
Line-ups
Freiburg XI: Kübler, Anthony Jung, Ginter, Günter, Lucas Höler, Eggestein, Patrick Osterhage, Noah Atubolu, Philipp Treu, Yuito Suzuki, Johan Manzambi
Subs: Höfler, V. Grifo, Florian Müller, Junior Adamu, Jordy Makengo, Igor Matanovic, Derry Scherhant, Cyriaque Irié, Bruno Ogbus
Dortmund XI: Emre Can, Guirassy, Kobel, Bensebaini, Ryerson, Schlotterbeck, Fábio Silva, Nmecha, Yan Couto, Chukwuemeka, Jobe Bellingham
Subs: Gross, Meyer, Sule, Drewes, Adeyemi, Beier, Daniel Svensson