Dortmund draw with Darmstadt

Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Darmstadt
(Aubameyang 63', 71‘ - Heller 17‘, Sulu 90')

Having gone behind to an early Marcel Heller volley, Borussia Dortmund pulled the game back with two second-half goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. But before the home side could celebrate, Darmstadt captain Aytac Sulu snatched an incredible draw with a last minute goal.

Darmstadt proved from the first whistle that the game-plan was to defend first at Dortmund. After Marco Reus blazed the first real chance of the game over the bar, the away side produced its only chance of the opening period, and took it.

Konstantin Rausch sent Jerome Gondorf in behind the Dortmund defense down the left-wing on the counter-attack and the midfielder produced a perfect cross for Marcel Heller. The rapid winger composed himself and smashed home an exquisite volley past Roman Bürki. The 8,000 travelling Lillie fans were in raptures and rightly so.

Dortmund produced countless chances which should have seen them level, but a bit of luck and resolute defending was helping Darmstadt along the way. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang certainly should have scored when he sliced over from two-yards after a cross from Marco Reus. Aubameyang thenheaded over inside the six-yard box two minutes later, before Marcel Schmelzer fired a shot over the bar from inside the box. Darmstadt's half-time lead was just reward for a well executed game-plan against Thomas Tuchel's side.

Never say never in the Bundesliga

Darmstadt continued to frustrate the home side who, despite controlling over 70 percent of possession through the match, were failing to create clear-cut chances in the second-half. The onslaught from the home side would not let up and eventually, a crack was to be found in the Lillie's defense. The man to break through the wall was one that has done it many times already this season.

Shinji Kagawa sent a diagonal pass to the back-post and the oncoming Matthias Ginter sent a first-time ball into the box, which Aubameyang finished on the turn. The Gabonese striker's eighth of the season in the Bundesliga, extending his record as the only player to now score in the opening seven matches of a Bundesliga season.

Once the metaphorical wall had been cracked, another opening appeared for the home side. Eight minutes after his first of the game, Aubameyang grabbed his second and thirteenth of the season in all competitions. Substitute Adnan Januzaj played a neat through-ball and despite a touch from Christian Mathenia, the ball found the back of the net.

It was almost a hat-trick for the striker when Henrikh Mkhitaryan's cross went in-between him and Mathenia in the Darmstadt goal. Another superb cross from Mkhitaryan had Aubameyang in a good position, but his header went wide of the goal. Dortmund should have received a penalty when Sokratis was taken out by Mathenia, but an offside was awarded and in the end, the home side were left wondering what had gone wrong.

With the clock ticking over 90 minutes Darmstadt were awarded a final chance with a free-kick. The ball came in and after Matthias Ginter failed to clear, Aytac Sulu had the ball at his feet. The club captain smashed home from the penalty spot to earn Darmstadt a remarkable draw at the Signal Iduna Park. The draw leaves BVB four points behind Bayern Munich ahead of the first 'Klassiker' of the season next weekend. Darmstadt are sitting pretty in ninth.

Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Hertha BSC

(Meier 22‘- Darida 82‘)

Both sides had spells of attacking play, with plenty of chances created in an open first-half. Stefan Aigner had two chances in the space of a minute but neither could find the target, whilst Frankfurt goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky was a busy man. Having punched a cross straight to Vedad Ibisevic, only for the striker's header to fall straight back into the goalkeeper's hands, Hradecky produced a stellar save to deny the Serbian striker moments later from close range.

But the next chance was made to count by the Eagles' star-man. Marc Stendera's whipped corner was flicked on by Marco Russ and Alex Meier finished well on the stretch with a first-time volley - his fourth goal of the season, all of which have been one-touch finishes.

Each side had more chances to score before the break, with Ibisevic and Vaclav Kadlec putting efforts over the crossbar from inside the six-yard box. Stendera also struck the woodwork with a crisp volley to end an entertaining first-half.

The second-half was quiet until the end with both sides struggling to create chances. The home side should have wrapped up the win through substitute and birthday boy Luc Castaignos, but he blazed a volley over the bar and Frankfurt was made to pay. With just seven minutes remaining, Alexander Baumjohan's through-ball was deflected to Vladimir Darida, who controlled and finished with composure to equalize. The point keeps Hertha eight in the table, with Frankfurt going above Darmstadt into eleventh.