Gladbach and Dortmund play out low-action draw

In Saturday night's "Battle of the Borussen", Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach split the difference in a 1-1 draw at Borussia Park. Nuri Sahin's BVB move up to fifth place in the Bundesliga table with the point gained. The match itself featured two controversial non-penalty calls prevent the game from swinging the way of Gerardo Seoane's Niederrhein hosts. Just as was the case against Bayern, an exceptional goal from BVB attacker Jamie Gittens couldn't help Dortmund earn all three points. 

Seoane went with two changes to the team that delivered a distressingly bad performance against Freiburg last week.Veterans Nico Elvedi and Kevin Stöger returned to the XI in place of Marvin Friedrich and Robin Hack. Sahin had just one enforced change to make from the XI that lined up against Bayern in last weekend's "Top-Spiel". Niklas Süle replaced the ailing Waldemar Anton in central defense.

Gittens engineer the first chance of the match in the 6th; a sequence that ended with BVB midfielder Marcel Sabitzer shooting wide. The first-half didn't exactly supply the most highlight-worthy football from the perspective of open play. Instead, there were shouts for Gladbach penalties after infractions in the box by ex-BMG professional Ramy Bensebaini (13th) and BVB striker Serhou Guirassy (15th). 

These instances became the talking points of the match as the two teams never really seemed to get settled in their approach play. Sabitzer put another ball over the crossbar in the 27th. Gittens forced a save out of Fohlenelf keeper Mortiz Nicolas in the 42nd. Apart from that, many inaccuracies on both sides kept the affair consistently sleepy. 

Things didn't necessarily pick up after the restart either. The hour mark came and went without much more occurring. Precisely as was the case last week, however, Gittens opted to pick up the match and carry it on his shoulders. Gittens added brilliant glitter to the drab affair with a superb dribble into the box in the 64th. The young Englishman then cooked off Joe Scally and Franck Honorat with several sublime step-over touches before polishing off the 1-0 himself.

The home side found themselves appealing for a penalty again three minutes later when Bensebaini brushed off a ball in the box with his shoulder in the 67th. The hosts would get a penalty after VAR review in the 68th. Christian Groß was ruled to have hassled Tim Kleindienst in a scoring position off a free-kick. Stöger duly converted the 1-1 from the spot in the 71st. 

The subbed on Hack (81st) and Guriassy (85th) traded chance at the lead after Stöger equalized. Nicolas also did well to punch away a dangerous Gittens cross in the 87th and there some more danger off a Dortmund corner at 90+2. Another Guirassy effort at 90+4 and a botched Gittens shoulder effort over the bar at 90+7 wrapped things up.