DSC Arminia Bielefeld got a good point away at SC Freiburg in the 2. Bundesliga on Friday night - this just the second game the hosts have dropped points in all season.
Freiburg were looking to keep the pressure up on leaders VfL Bochum with a win, but, instead, at the end of a lacklustre first half, Bielefeld took the lead through Fabian Klos' volley, following a defensive mistake.
Freiburg started fast after the break, but it was Arminia who scored the next goal of the game, with Florian Dick's deflected shot making it two early in the second half.
The home side did pull one back after a period of sustained pressure, the prolific Nils Petersen on target with a free header, and their second half performance paid off in the end as substitute Lucas Hufnagel scored a 90th minute equaliser.
Team news
Perhaps unsurprisingly, with them having lost just one game all season and won the rest, Freiburg named an unchanged line-up for this match, fielding the same one that comfortably beat 1. FC Kaiserslautern last time out.
As for Arminia, the game came just too soon for Jonas Strifler, who has been absent since March due to an anterior cruciate ligament rupture, but is expected back later this month.
Thus, just the one change was made to the side that drew 2-2 with MSV Duisburg last week, with Klos replacing Michael Görlitz, meaning he partnered Christopher Nöthe up front in a 4-4-2.
The newly-promoted visitors were searching for only their second win of the season tonight, the only one so far coming against SC Paderborn 07 at the end of last month, but would surely take a point against a side who were looking to apply the pressure at the top of the table, sitting in second, just one point behind Bochum, prior to kick-off.
Poor first half with few moments of note
Arminia kicked things off but Freiburg were the liveliest early on, posing problems particularly down the right wing through Mike Frantz. However, the visitors held their own at the back in a tight and thus uneventful opening half.
Whether it was the offside flag, a misplaced pass or a strong defensive intervention, attacks were thwarted at both ends throughout the first 45 minutes one way or another, with each team lacking real quality in the final third, even if they managed to string together a decent build up.
Action-packed final five minutes sees Bielefeld take the lead in at the break
However, in the final five minutes of the half, chances came thick and fast, with an error by Julian Börner resulting in Petersen being threaded through on goal, but the in-form Freiburg striker was unable to beat goalkeeper Wolfgang Hesl, who made himself big to smother the effort.
Moments later, Maximilian Philipp tried his luck from the edge of the box, but his strike was just a yard wide of the post as the hosts ended the half on the front foot.
Yet, against the run of play, with Freiburg starting to take over, Bielefeld took the lead on the stroke of half time.
Klos was the scorer, justifying his return to the starting 11. Christoph Hemlein started the attack, weaving his way into the box and bending his shot past Alexander Schwolow, only for it to hit the foot of the post. Christian Günter should have cleared the loose ball, but failed to do so, allowing Klos to capitalise with a powerful volley that he thumped into the back of the net.
One could not say Bielefeld didn't deserve the lead, as they had been opportunistic, taking the one chance that came their way, but neither side had exactly dominated a very lacklustre first half.
Bielefeld make it two within minutes of the restart
Looking to respond and respond fast, Freiburg were quick out of the blocks in the second half, with Karim Guédé teeing up Günter to strike, but the man at fault for the opening goal was unable to make amends as his effort flew over the bar.
Less than a minute later, Bielefeld were two goals to the good instead, going down the other end and receiving a slice of luck as Dick fired the rebound from his long throw-in at goal, seeing his effort deflect past Schwolow at his near post with less than five minutes gone in the second period.
Late push pays dividends as Freiburg find last minute equaliser
The game was running away from Freiburg now, but the introduction of Hufnagel on the hour was almost an inspired change by Christian Streich, the Georgian forcing a great save out of Hesl within moments of entering the field.
Amir Abrashi tried his luck five minutes later, but couldn't find the target himself, but the home side would pull one back before the 70 minute mark, that man Petersen on target once more as he headed in Phillipp's cross, completely unchallenged.
Though Freiburg kept up their pressure as the game entered its final stages, they were suspect to a swift counter, which Arminia looked to exploit.
Hemlein tested Schwolow at his near post at the end of one break, whilst another was cut short by a tactical foul, and Sebastian Schuppan came within inches of making it 3-1 from the resulting free-kick, hitting the post with an almost perfectly placed effort.
However, the visiting defence would eventually cave, with Hufnagel proving to be a super sub in the end as he managed to get the ball out from underneath him in the area and place it into the back of the net from eight yards out, following wonderful work by Frantz down the left.
It was a deserved goal that would get them a deserved point, but they wanted more, pushing desperately in the four added minutes for a winner.
Yet, despite knocking cross after cross into the visitors' box, they were unable to find one, having to settle for a point in the end. It was a disappointing result for both in the end, with Freiburg expecting more coming into the match and Arminia having surrendered a lead, but the former will be happy with the result under the circumstances, as will the latter given the form of their opponents.