Freiburg 1-1 Borussia Dortmund: Visitors cling on for point after Bellingham sent off

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.

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.