SC Freiburg 2-2 Borussia Dortmund: 3 reasons why BVB were held to a draw | Bundesliga 2019-20 

Lucien Favre's Borussia Dortmund slipped to a third successive 2-2 league draw, this time against SC Freiburg.

Axel Witsel's sweetly-struck volley put BVB's noses in front, before Luca Waldschmidt restored parity in the 55th minute.

Dortmund showed some flair and got themselves back in front through in-form Achraf Hakimi just about 12 minutes later, but Manuel Akanji inadvertently put a Freiburg cross into his own goal in the dying stages of the game.

The result now means that Marco Reus and co. are tentatively down to seventh in Bundesliga standings, with just two wins in their last five German league games.

The visitors began the game positively, but let their foot off the pedal once Witsel found the back of the net. Allowing a team that is playing some exquisite football this season to take charge wasn't ideally what the fans expected and as a result, the lead slipped not once but twice.

Dortmund, although not in the top four at the moment, are just two points behind Bayern Munich, who suffered a shock defeat at home to Hoffenheim following their 7-2 rout in midweek against Spurs.

Lucien Favre's men will have to reassemble quickly and fix their issues post international break because they know what they have in their locker is impressive enough to win the title.

On that note, we analyze three reasons why Borussia Dortmund fell to a disappointing draw against SC Freiburg.

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#3 Lack of intensity in the second half

Borussia Dortmund's midfield lacked energy and enough bite to cause problems down the other end

Both teams headed for the restart on level terms, but Freiburg were awarded the bigger chances and spaces until that point.

That only further increased as the second half progressed, as after Hakimi's deflected effort, the visitors just decided to sit back and restrict the press to wider areas in potentially unfruitful areas of the pitch.

Further, they let the likes of Janik Haberer and Nicolas Hofler dictate play with ample time on the ball.

There seemed to be a certain lack of intensity from the away side, which was clearly underpinned by the way both sides were pressing, creating spaces and moving without the ball.

Given the way Freiburg were pervading dangerous areas of the turf in the final third, you knew a leveler was just around the corner. And so it happened.

#2 Lack of creativity while going forward

Borussia Dortmund's Thorgan Hazard faded as the game wore on

Yes, they scored two wonderful goals. Yes, they've been flying out of the blocks and slotting in chances with aplomb in recent weeks - something you'd expect from a team with such calibre at its disposal.

But, Dortmund certainly didn't create enough, especially in comparison to the hosts' approach. Dortmund were staid, unadventurous and flat-footed while going forward.

The clear-cut opportunities seldom arrived, perhaps due to the lack of movement from the wingers and number 10. Mario Gotze, although not on the score sheet, put in an all-round shift as he tried to link up play, free up spaces for the others and constantly spin off the back of defenders.

However, the likes of Hazard, Julian Brandt and Reus were far from convincing. Was it the cramming of wider spaces from Freiburg that restricted Dortmund, or was it the fact that everyone in the side was fatigued after the long journey to Prague in midweek - we don't know.

What we do know is that BVB and more so, Favre, need to rotate the forward players more often and license them with leeway to go out and express themselves.

#1 Allowing the opposition to come at them after taking the lead

Lucien Favre's methods have been subject to scorn in recent weeks

Every time Borussia Dortmund took the lead, Freiburg benefited. They enjoyed the better, longer spells of sustained, productive possession against a side that didn't quite play to its strength.

It's almost as if to say Dortmund cannot play when they take the lead. We've seen them come back from behind to record stellar victories, but in recent weeks, they've been on the wrong side of the headlines.

A 2-1 lead surrendered against Freiburg and previously, a 2-1 lead was acquiesced against Werder Bremen. Not to mention, prior to these two fixtures, Dortmund let a 2-1 advantage slip too after having taken the early lead.

It's safe to claim that Dortmund are at their supreme best when they embellish the brand of football associated with their name, play with freedom and attack in numbers. It's not been the case in recent weeks, as in the quest to sustain superiority, they have allowed far too much space in the central areas of midfield and st back.