Borussia Dortmund suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen in an entertaining encounter at Signal Iduna Park.

Despite a spirited second-half comeback, Dortmund’s defensive lapses in the early stages proved costly, as Leverkusen’s clinical finishing helped them secure all three points in this Bundesliga clash.

The match started with a bang as Bayer Leverkusen took the initiative almost immediately. Nathan Tella opened the scoring in the first minute with a stunning right-footed strike into the top left corner following a well-timed headed pass from Robert Andrich.

Dortmund, caught off guard, struggled to regain their footing before Leverkusen doubled their lead just seven minutes later.

Patrik Schick found space in the box and rifled a right-footed effort into the top right corner after an assist from Piero Hincapie.

Dortmund responded in the 12th minute through Jamie Gittens, whose precise left-footed finish from close range brought the hosts back into the contest.

Kicking off 2025 with a W! 😮💨

90+5′ | 2-3 | #BVBB04 pic.twitter.com/fGfVh4yEMT

— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) January 10, 2025

However, their hopes of leveling the match were short-lived. Leverkusen’s relentless attack continued, and Schick struck again in the 19th minute, slotting in a composed left-footed finish after being set up by Jeremy Frimpong.

The second half saw a determined Dortmund side looking to bounce back.

Maximilian Beer and Karim Adeyemi tested Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, but their efforts were either saved or narrowly wide of the target.

A key moment came in the 75th minute when Julien Duranville drew a foul in the box from Edmond Tapsoba, which led to a VAR review resulting in a penalty for Dortmund.

Serhou Guirassy stepped up and calmly converted the spot kick, reducing the deficit to 3-2.

There was a flurry of action in the closing stages as Dortmund went all out in search of an equaliser.

93rd-minute substitute Daniel Malone saved a chance and Felix Nmecha’s late effort from midfield added further drama.

Tempers flared in the final moments of the match, with Nmecha receiving a yellow card in added time for a reckless foul on Florian Wirtz.

Despite Dortmund’s relentless pressure, Leverkusen fought hard for Xabi Alonso to win.