Borussia Dortmund was left without a victory in its last round of the Bundesliga, ending at the home of Union Berlin with a goalless draw. The match, which was played on Saturday, October 17 at 3:30 p.m. at the An der alten Forsterei stadium, left the German team with its second consecutive defeat and the third game without a win in the season.
Union, which had shown a somewhat fragile defense in the first days, recovered the solidity that characterizes the club. With the help of their goalkeeper Friedrich Rönnow and the defensive wall formed by Haberer, Van den Bosch and Rothe, the Berlin team managed to avoid the threats of Dortmund, who despite dominating possession and creating chances on the wings, failed to score in the area. The only close goal moment was a weak shot by Nwaneri shortly before half-time, which was no problem for Rönnow.
For Borussia, the match was a reminder of the fragility that has marked their start to the campaign. After the defeat against Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League and the draw with Werder Bremen in the league, Niko Kovács' team was forced to look for a favorable result at home. The coach tried to reorient the game with tactical changes, introducing Fabio Silva and Konstantinos Karetsas. Silva showed moments of dynamism and combined with Serhou Guirassy, but failed to generate a concrete threat. Karetsas, meanwhile, suffered an injury after just six minutes of play, forcing Kovács to make an additional substitution.
The Union also had opportunities, such as Maximilian Beier's shot in the 55th minute, which went wide, and Skarke's shot in the 58th minute, which also missed. Despite these attempts, the Union defense remained calm and prevented Dortmund from capitalizing on their advances. In the second half, Dortmund pressed harder, but Union stood firm and managed to contain the attacks.
With the tie, Borussia Dortmund remains at the provisional top of the table, one point ahead of FC Freiburg, who visits Bayer Leverkusen this Sunday, and awaiting the results of Bayern and Leipzig. The result does not significantly alter the team's position, but it does reinforce the need to improve its offensive performance if it wants to maintain its lead in the title race. Dortmund's next game will be a crucial test to confirm whether they can convert possession and chance creation into goals, while Union Berlin will continue to look to consolidate their defense to continue competing in the league.