Kobel takes responsibility for Bellingham red card as Dortmund fail to go second

Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel admitted he was partly to blame for Jobe Bellingham's red card after a 1-1 draw with Freiburg denied them second place in the Bundesliga.

Dortmund had taken the lead through a close-range finish from Ramy Bensebaini following Yan Couto's free-kick, but their task was made much tougher in the second half as Bellingham was sent off after a foul as the last man in the 53rd minute.

They conceded to a fine goal from Lucas Holer but did hold on for a credible draw despite the numerical disadvantage, and they remain in third spot.

Kobel sold Bellingham short with a poor pass in the build-up to his red card and took responsibility for the outcome, with the Englishman now facing up to a suspension. 

He said: "I felt that he had plenty of space. Ultimately, I need to ensure that I deliver a better pass.

“It is unfortunate for him that he is now out of action. I accept responsibility for that; I need to play the ball better."

Dortmund missed the chance to cut the gap to Bayern Munich at the top and have now won only four of their last 10 matches, and Kobel admits the red card played a pivotal role in the outcome of the match.

“If the red card hadn’t happened, the game would have been different," he said. “We hadn’t conceded much to that point and were very dominant.

"We are trying to improve and work on certain things. We’ve had a lot of midweek games, and in phases like that it's important to try to keep your energy levels high and play the games through to the end."

Dortmund host Borussia Monchengladbach next week in their final match before the winter break.

Head coach Niko Kovac accepted the result after his side were forced to play the majority of the second half with 10 men.

He said: "We have to live with it, and I can live with it.

"You can't expect to win here with one man down."