It took just one game for Borussia Dortmund's facade of being title favorites to blow up in smoke. In fact, it blew up within a space of four agonizing minutes when Werder Bremen struck twice to wipe out their lead and bring the scoreline level at 2-2.
Daniel's Svensson's 80th minute opener offered a massive reprieve for the BVB, who had struggling to find a way past the inspired Karl Hein, while Nico Schlotterbeck added a second just five minutes later and consolidated their grip on the tie.
A fifth consecutive win beckoned for Niko Kovac's swashbuckling side, but the late implosion ended their perfect start and also saw them drop to second place on the league table with Freiburg taking the lead on goal-difference. Here are our three major weaknesses which the game exposed:
1) Psychological fragility
The biggest concern emerging from the match was how quickly Dortmund lost control after going 2-0 up. The match was seemingly in the bag, and then by the blink of an eye, it wasn't.
Occasional slip-ups like these proved costly for Dortmund last term, dropping points from a winning position in seven Bundesliga games. The Achilles heel resurfaced again and the side went from claiming all three points to settling for a draw.
As Ludovit Reis pulled one back for Bremen, the visitors got a boost in confidence and kept pushing for a winner. Dortmund struggled to cope with the mounting pressure, giving the ball away rather cheaply and conceding territory as their fragile mentality was exposed yet again.
2) Failure to close the game off
After going 2-0 up, Dortmund should have closed the game out by slowing it down. Instead, they grew complacent, showing no defensive resolve and leaving gaps in behind.
Dominating the game for 85 minutes means nothing if you can't protect the lead you have, a harsh lesson that Dortmund were served once again on the day.
Conceding late goals has become a worrying trend for them, having shipped in 11 of their 24 last season after the 80th minute. Niko Kovac needs to address this concern before it becomes a pattern again and wretches another title charge in the league.
3) Failure to capitalize on statistical dominance
In all five league games this season, Dortmund have dominated the match statistics with more possession, more passes completed, more chances created and more shots attempted. However, it hasn't really translated into big wins.
Their best result so far this season has been the 3-0 win over Paderborn last month. But even in that game, Dortmund were struggling to exert themselves until Felix Nmecha came off the bench to add a late double and gloss over the scoreline.
On Friday too, the BVB finished with 72% possession, fired 21 shots to Bremen's 11, and had the better xG of 2.31 to 1.31 too. Yet, they walked away from the match with just a point. Statistical dominance doesn't mean anything if you are not able to capitalize on it.
With the amount of shots BVB attempted on target (10), the scoreline should have been wide in their favor. Credit also goes to goalkeeper Karl Hein for a series of emphatic saves, but this isn't a one-off. Dortmund have repeatedly seen a disappointing chance-creation to chance-scoring ratio.
This lack of cutting edge in the final third should worry Kovac.
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