Borussia Dortmund vs Werder Bremen controversy turns on three refereeing calls

"If three players block opposing players, then that is blocking without the ball, but it is also offside." Speaking to SPORT1 in comments translated from German, former referee Manuel Gräfe used that line to argue that Borussia Dortmund's 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen on Friday evening was shaped by three big officiating mistakes. He says Nico Schlotterbeck's 85th-minute goal should not have stood, while Niclas Füllkrug's stoppage-time equaliser should have been ruled out for offside blocking.

The two goals Gräfe questioned

The disputed sequence began with Dortmund taking the lead through Daniel Svensson in the 80th minute, before Schlotterbeck made it 2-1 five minutes later. Gräfe's argument is that Schlotterbeck's goal should have been disallowed because Felix Nmecha was offside and obstructing Werder goalkeeper Karl Hein. Hein still made seven saves in the game, but Gräfe says that did not alter the key issue around the scoring move.

Werder then equalised through Ludovit Reis in the 88th minute and levelled again through Füllkrug in the 92nd. On that final goal, Gräfe's view is that the offside block should have nullified the effort. He also said referee Christian Dingert blew the whistle prematurely and did not consult VAR.

Didi Hamann, speaking to SPORT1, backed the complaint over Dortmund's disallowed goal earlier in the match: "For all the love. You can't blow for that, can you". His point was different from Gräfe's, but it lands in the same place, with the late decisions now carrying as much weight as the goals themselves.

The late minutes that changed the match

The 80th-minute strike from Svensson set Dortmund up for a routine finish. Instead, Schlotterbeck's goal, Reis's equaliser and Füllkrug's stoppage-time finish turned Borussia Dortmund vs Werder Bremen into a refereeing argument that has kept the 2-2 alive for longer than the football probably deserved.

Gräfe has not just focused on one call. He says two goals should not have stood and one Dortmund goal should have counted, which is why the official scoreline has ended up under so much scrutiny after Friday's draw.