It was a bright start to the match from Jurgen Klopp's side as the returning Marco Reus went close with a curled effort which drifted just past the post.

Dortmund's midfielder Ilkay Gundogan and FC Koln's Slovak midfielder Dusan Svento vie for the ball during the German First division Bundesliga football match 1 FC Koln vs Borussia Dortmund on October 18, 2014 © Getty Images

The visitors would dominate possession for long spells of the first half, but were left frustrated in the final third of the pitch as Timo Horn sprinted off his line to deny Reus with a good save.

FC Koln midfielder Kevin Vogt celebrates after scoring during the German First division Bundesliga football match 1 FC Koln vs Borussia Dortmund on October 18, 2014 © Getty Images

Despite looking the more dangerous of the two teams, Dortmund fell behind just before the interval when Kevin Vogt linked with Marcel Risse before firing past a helpless Roman Weidenfeller.

It took just three minutes of second-half action for Dortmund to reply as the influential Reus executed an inch-perfect pass for Ciro Immobile, who calmly slotted home the equaliser.

Dortmund's head coach Jurgen Klopp and Dortmund's Italian striker Ciro Immobile celebrate during the German First division Bundesliga football match 1 FC Koeln vs Borussia Dortmund on October 18, 2014 © Getty Images

Immobile's equaliser brought a reaction from his teammates as Dortmund took control of the match, but they were denied the lead on the hour mark when Shinji Kagawa's weak shot was kept out by Horn.

After being forced onto the back foot for an extended spell it was Koln who went agonisingly close to regaining the lead when Simon Zoller fired wide after beating the offside trap.

That opportunity would be just a warning for Dortmund as the Koln clinched all three points in the 74th minute when Yuya Osako set up Zoller, who made up for his earlier miss with the calmest of finishes for the winner.