No winner in the chasing duel: BVB and Leipzig play 1:1

Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig dropped big points in the Bundesliga chasing duel. Ahead of the second top match of matchday six between Eintracht Frankfurt and leaders Bayern Munich, the two teams drew 1-1 (1-1) and remain second (BVB) and third (Leipzig) behind the record champions.

In an intense but less spectacular top-of-the-table clash, Dortmund's Yan Couto (23rd minute) equalized. Yan Couto (23rd minute) equalized the lead of Leipzig's Christoph Baumgartner (7th) in front of 81,365 spectators in the once again sold-out Signal Iduna Park.

This means that Dortmund are now unbeaten in 14 games across the season, but missed at least a temporary jump to the top of the table. Dortmund were closer to victory, especially towards the end of the game. Leipzig dropped points again after four wins in a row.

Schlotterbeck foul gives Leipzig the lead

The duel between the two different Bayern pursuers was played with high intensity from the start. While BVB tried to build up pressure through play, RB's game consisted, as always, of quick switching moments and high tackling. The visitors also took the lead with their first chance. Baumgartner's second goal of the season came uncharacteristically for RB after a long drive into the box from Nicolas Seiwald. Assan Quedraogo headed the ball to the feet of Baumgartner, who slotted home from close range.

The goal was preceded by an unfortunate action by Nico Schlotterbeck. The international defender had been rotated back into the team after his break from the starting eleven in the Champions League against Athletic Bilbao, but was shown a yellow card early on. The 25-year-old was clearly late in the tackle against Romulo.

Kovac rotation leads to trouble for Bellingham

BVB coach Niko Kovac had also changed his team in three other positions compared to the Bilbao game. Among others, the most expensive summer signing Jobe Bellingham was initially only on the bench again this time, which led to Kovac facing unpleasant questions before the game. According to reports, the Englishman and his family are unhappy with the playing time of the brother of former BVB star Jude Bellingham.

"It's clear that Jobe might want to play more. That's okay," Dortmund's sporting director Sebastian Kehl confirmed on DAZN. Kovac justified his rotation with the high workload. "We all know that if you play every third day, and we have a lot of international players, then it's simply not possible. Nobody in the world will be able to keep the level up for the whole game," said Kovac.

Dortmund did more for the game, but did not reward themselves

Even without Belligham, who later came on as a substitute, Dortmund were the stronger team despite going behind. Couto rewarded BVB for their attacking efforts with the equalizer. It was the Brazilian's first Bundesliga goal in 26 matches. The game calmed down a little before the break, but remained intense.

After the break, both teams pressed for the win and fought an intense battle. While the visitors were always dangerous, Dortmund were the more active and agile team, especially towards the end of the game.