Borussia Dortmund were left to bemoan a dose of VAR controversy as PSV Eindhoven fought back to earn a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at Philips Stadion.
BVB forward and erstwhile Rood-witten man Donyell Malen haunted his former team in the first half, but Luuk de Jong's contentious penalty saw Peter Bosz's side level the tie.
Visiting head coach Edin Terzic had to make a last-minute alteration to his first XI at Philips Stadion, as number one goalkeeper Gregor Kobel appeared to sustain an injury in the warm-up, allowing Alexander Meyer to come in for an unforeseen start.
Meyer's opposite number Walter Benitez would be forced into the first meaningful serve of the contest 15 minutes in, though, keeping out a low drive from Malen, just one moment before Malik Tillman fired wide in an end-to-end start to the battle.
Dortmund soon began to pepper the PSV goal with shots, though, and the German giants got their reward in the 24th minute through Malen, who worked a yard of space in the right-hand side of the box, tried his luck and saw his strike take a nick off of Sergino Dest on its way in at the near post via the crossbar.
Luuk de Jong levels it for PSV from the spot, 1-1 in Eindhoven 🤝
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 20, 2024
But Mats Hummels was not happy with the penalty decision 😬 #UCL pic.twitter.com/9gopQskWLE
Malen toned down his celebrations against his former employers, who should have been back on level terms just four minutes later, but Tillman was guilty of another agonising miss, heading wide from Joey Veerman's pinpoint free kick.
PSV's wastefulness was hampering their hopes of pegging Dortmund back, but Meyer's gloves were finally tested in the 40th minute, as Ismael Saibari tried to find a gap at the near post but could not beat the goalkeeper.
The Rood-witten would make their pressure tell 11 minutes into the second period, albeit in highly controversial circumstances, as Mats Hummels was penalised for a foul on Tillman inside the area.
Replays showed that the Dortmund defender made contact with the ball, but the VAR room spotted Hummels's studs scrape Tillman's shin, allowing De Jong to stroke home from the spot; Meyer guessed the right way, but his reach was futile.
The tie remained on a knife edge as the dying embers approached, but neither side took the bull by the horns and a draw was the fairest result, even if Terzic's men were irked by a perceived sense of injustice.
Before the return fixture at the Westfalenstadion on March 13 takes precedence, PSV travel to PEC Zwolle in Saturday's Eredivisie encounter, while Dortmund are at home to Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga in five days' time.
Ben Knapton
