VfL Bochum 2 Borussia Dortmund 2: Castro and Pulisic spare Bosz´s blushes

Peter Bosz avoided his second defeat since taking over as Borussia Dortmund coach as two goals in as many minutes earned a 2-2 draw with VfL Bochum.

Dortmund had been second best for long periods of Saturday’s friendly and fell behind in the 39th minute as Stefano Celozzi gave the 2.Bundesliga side the lead.

That advantage was doubled in spectacular fashion after the restart through Anthony Losilla’s wondrous volley.

A fightback had appeared unlikely, but Gonzalo Castro fuelled hope in the 85th minute before Christian Pulisic diverted a near-post cross home a minute later, with Bochum left clinging on for a draw.

Teenager Dan-Axel Zagadou went closest to opening the scoring for Dortmund in the first half when he headed wide from close range, but it was Bochum who broke the deadlock.

A pull back from the left worked its way to Celozzi on the edge of the area and the winger duly fired into the bottom-right corner.

Mario Gotze played the entire first half as he continues his comeback from the metabolic disorders that derailed his 2016-17 season.

Six minutes after the interval Bochum’s lead was doubled brilliantly by Losilla.

Kevin Stoger’s lofted left-wing cross was only cleared as far as Losilla, who controlled the ball twice with his head before letting fly with volley that flew in off the crossbar.

Dortmund had hit the woodwork in their push to get back into it, but looked to be running out of ideas as the game approached its conclusion.

Castro, though, arrowed a strike in off the post five minutes from time and moments later Dortmund were level when
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Pulisic chested in Andre Schurrle’s delivery from the left.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who Dortmund recently denied could move to the Chinese Super League in January, almost won the game off the bench, but his curling effort went wide of the post.