SUMMARY
Arsenal Under-19s stayed top of their UEFA Youth League group with a 2-2 draw away to Borussia Dortmund.
The young Gunners will be disappointed not to take all three points though, having led 2-0 in the first half.
Austin Lipman and Jon Toral put the visitors two goals up after 35 minutes, only for Dortmund to score either side of the interval to earn a point in an entertaining Group F fixture.
TEAM NEWS
Steve Gatting made four changes to the side which drew 0-0 with Dortmund at home a fortnight ago.
Spaniards Toral and Julio Pleguezuelo came in for Jack Jebb and Isaac Hayden, while Gedion Zelalem – back from injury – was handed his UEFA Youth League debut in the number 10 role.
Lipman - temporarily back from his loan spell at Boreham Wood - started up front in place of the suspended Chuba Akpom.
FIRST HALF
Both teams took a while to get into their stride on a heavy pitch in the rain. Dortmund's Eyuep Kocoglu had the first shot on target after 10 minutes, but his shot from distance was straight at Deyan Iliev.
Arsenal slowly began to stamp their authority on the game, and Lipman volleyed over after Stefan O'Connor's knock down found him unmarked at the far post.
The hosts remained dangerous on the break and Domogoj Drodzek should have done better when O'Connor's weak clearance fell to him on the edge of the area, but he blazed high and wide.
Arsenal went ahead on 27 minutes. Toral got to the byline on the right wing after being fed by Zelalem, and his low cross was instinctively turned home at the near post by Lipman. It was his third goal in the competition this season.
The Gunners visibly grew in confidence and Toral made it 2-0 on 35 minutes. Glen Kamara beat three players as he ran right across the edge of the area, before picking out Toral. The Spaniard beat his man, shifted the ball onto his right foot and calmly dispatched it home.
Dortmund pulled one back against the run of play four minutes before the break when Oeguen Guemuestas headed home a powerful header from a pinpoint right-wing cross.
Zelalem could have restored the two-goal lead shortly afterwards, but the ball got stuck under his feet after Lipman's cross eluded the Dortmund defence.
SECOND HALF
The hosts equalised less than two minutes into the second half. Nick Weber fired a crisp low shot into the bottom corner, leaving Iliev with no chance.
Mehmet Kurt then crashed a shot against the bar from 20 yards out as the Germans threatened to take control.
Arsenal then saw three very presentable chances come and go in quick succession.
The first one fell to Toral. He sprang the offside trap and was one on one with Steffen Goecke in the Dortmund goal.The huge German keeper was quick off his line though, and pushed the ball away for a corner.
Lipman was then denied twice in as many minutes. First he saw his close-range shot from Toral's cross saved, before he was unable to make proper contact as Ainsley Maitland-Niles sent in a dangerous ball from the right flank.
Conditions soon began to take their toll, though, as the consistent rainfall made flowing football difficult.
Maitland-Niles saw a late shot flash wide when he sprung free down the right, but in the end both sides had to settle for a point.
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