Hein shines as Werder Bremen stage late comeback against Borussia Dortmund
Estonian international goalkeeper Karl Jakob Hein produced an impressive performance as Werder Bremen came from two goals down in the closing minutes to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park, ending the hosts’ perfect start to the Bundesliga season.
The 24-year-old goalkeeper, who missed Estonia’s final two UEFA Nations League matches through injury, returned to action on Friday evening as Werder Bremen faced a difficult trip to league leaders Borussia Dortmund, who had won all four of their opening Bundesliga fixtures.
Dortmund immediately took control of proceedings, dominating possession and putting the visitors under sustained pressure. Hein was called into action for the first time in the 33rd minute, denying Serhou Guirassy to keep the scores level.
The Estonian goalkeeper was then fortunate to see Marcel Sabitzer’s effort strike the post, but he soon demonstrated his quality with an outstanding one-handed save to deny Maximilian Beier from close range towards the end of the first half. Despite Dortmund’s dominance, Bremen managed to reach the interval with the score still goalless.
The pattern of the match remained largely unchanged after the restart, with Dortmund continuing to dictate proceedings and create opportunities. Hein was once again at the centre of the action, producing another excellent save to deny Ethan Nwaneri early in the second half.
Nwaneri later had another opportunity, but the Estonia international was again equal to the task, frustrating the hosts as they searched for a breakthrough.
Dortmund’s persistence finally paid off in the 80th minute when Daniel Svensson found a way past Hein to give the hosts a deserved lead. Things quickly went from bad to worse for Bremen as Nico Schlotterbeck doubled Dortmund’s advantage following a corner just a few minutes later.
With Dortmund leading 2-0 and the match approaching its conclusion, the hosts appeared destined to maintain their perfect record and claim a fifth consecutive Bundesliga victory.
However, Bremen refused to surrender. In the 88th minute, Ludovit Reis pulled a goal back for the visitors, suddenly giving them hope of rescuing something from a match that had seemed beyond their reach.
The remarkable comeback was completed in the second minute of stoppage time when Niclas Fullkrug rose above the Dortmund defence in the centre of the penalty area and headed home the equaliser, stunning the home crowd and securing an unlikely point for Bremen.
Hein made his fifth Bundesliga start of the season, the Estonian goalkeeper produced seven saves from Dortmund’s nine shots on target, playing a crucial role in keeping Bremen within touching distance before their dramatic late comeback.
The draw saw Borussia Dortmund drop points for the first time this Bundesliga season, while Werder Bremen moved up to fourth place in the standings with eight points from their opening five matches.
Hein and his teammates will now turn their attention to next Saturday’s Bundesliga fixture, when Werder Bremen host newly promoted Paderborn.
