RB Leipzig 1-1 Borussia Dortmund: Honours Even at the Red Bull Arena as Reus Earns BVB Vital Point

Borussia Dortmund fought back from a goal down to claim a crucial 1-1 draw with rivals RB Lepizig at the Red Bull Arena on Saturday evening.

The home side had taken the lead just before the half-hour mark through Jean-Kevin Augustin's precise curling finish, only for Marco Reus to latch on to Mahmoud Dahoud's through ball and round Peter Gulacsi for a deserved equaliser.

Both sides had chances to win the game, though Dortmund will perhaps feel aggrieved not to come away with three points after seeing on-loan Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi squander a glaring opportunity midway through the second half.

RB Leipzig made three changes from the side surprisingly beaten at home by FC Köln last time out, as soon to be Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita and highly rated forward Timo Werner returned to the starting lineup, with Everton loanee Ademola Lookman dropping down to the substitutes bench.

Peter Stoger made just one change for Dortmund, as Manuel Akanji returned at centre-back in place of Sokratis Papastathopoulos.

The game started off at a decent pace, as both teams demonstrated their abilities to stroke the ball around the park. The visitors were seemingly having trouble staying onside against RP Leipzig's aggressive high line though, and were made to pay for their inability to adjust as they had two goals quickly chalked off.

First, a swift counter attack led by the influential Reus saw the home side outnumbered by three to two, only for the German international to delay his pass too long to teammate Andre Schurrle, with the former Chelsea winger straying into side an offside position before laying the ball on a plate for Batshuayi to tap home.

Just ten minutes later, the visitors were left to wonder what might have been once more, as neat interplay slid the ball through to Reus. The flamboyant winger expertly slotted past Gulacsi at the near post, only to find the assistant referee's flag correctly raised once more.

Just as Dortmund seemed to have the upper hand, the home side fired themselves into a surprise lead following good work from Keita. The Guinean midfielder picked up the ball in midfield, neatly slipping the ball between Lukasz Piszczek and Akanji, where Augustin kept his composure to fire past the onrushing Roman Bürki.

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That was Augustin's third goal in three games, a run that has seen the 20-year old Frenchman get back to form after previously going without a goal since October.

Die Schwarzgelben hit back instantaneously though, as Dortmund this time made no mistake in staying onside. Mahmoud Dahoud's simple through ball split the home defence wide open, with Reus bursting in from the right-hand side to skip past the advancing Gulacsi, before sliding home into an empty net.

It was no more than the away side deserved, though Stoger's men surprisingly took their foot off the gas thereafter in a performance that ultimately flattered to deceive. The second period was a very timid affair, as both sides struggled to lack any real cohesion in the final third, though there were opportunities for both sides to grab a winner.

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The best chance to win the game fell to the away side, with BVB's travelling support bound to be frustrated on the way home with Batshuayi's inability to turn Dahoud's centre into the gaping net. The young German did brilliantly to maraud his way to the byline, only for Batshuayi to scuff his effort away from goal, when wonderfully placed in the six-yard box.

It could have been worse for the visitors late on though, as substitute Bruma's curling cross almost dropped in at the far post, but it was ultimately points shared between these two Champions League chasing rivals, with Dortmund now sitting just a point behind second placed Schalke in the Bundesliga.