Dortmund succumb to second straight defeat

Reigning Bundesliga champions and German Cup holders Borussia Dortmund fell to their second consecutive pre-season loss on Saturday when they went down 4-2 at Nuremberg.

The 2011 and 2012 German champions had been beaten 3-1 at Belgian side Club Brugge last weekend.

Dortmund were without their German internationals Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmelzer, Ilkay Gundogan, Mario Goetze and Marco Reus, who are still on holiday after Euro 2012.

The five players are due to join up with the squad on Sunday at their training camp in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland, where they will face St Gallen in another friendly on Wednesday.

Against Nuremberg, Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp waited an hour before turning to his overseas players, Croatia's Ivan Perisic and the Polish trio of Robert Lewandowski, Lukasz Piszczek and Jakub Blaszczykowski.

Kuba scored in the 62nd minute, two minutes after coming on, to bring Dortmund level at 2-2.

Sebastian Kehl had given Dortmund the lead inside the first 15 minutes, only for Hanno Balitsch to reply in the 30th minute.

Veteran Marek Mintal gave Nuremberg the lead from the penalty spot in the 44th minute, with second-half goals from Sebastian Polter and Mike Frantz securing victory.

Dortmund face Bayern Munich in the German Super Cup in Munich on August 12 and open their quest for a third consecutive Bundesliga title at home to Werder Bremen on August 24.