Dortmund held despite playing 10 men for an hour at Freiburg
Peter Bosz's team were unable to get a past a stubborn home side and now must turn their attention to Tottenham in the Champions League.
Borussia Dortmund were held to a goalless draw at 10-man Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday ahead of their midweek Champions League meeting with Tottenham Hotspur despite playing against 10 men for an hour.
It was the first time in three games that Dortmund dropped league points under new head coach Peter Bosz.
Dortmund's star-studded attack, boasting last season's top-scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, were unable to get around a stubborn home side at the Schwarzwald Stadion.
The video assistant referee intervened as Yoric Ravet was dismissed with 30 minutes gone.
Ravet off for studs-up challenge
Ravet was initially shown a yellow card for a tackle on Dortmund captain Marcel Schmelzer, but the VAR overruled the referee who changed it to a red as replays showed the midfielder went in studs up.
Schmelzer was stretchered off and was taken to hospital, while defender Marc Bartra was also injured in the first half.
It was the first time the VAR, which is being trialled in the Bundesliga, had called for a red card in Germany's top flight.
Dortmund's new signing Andriy Yarmolenko came on for the final 11 minutes for his debut after joining from Dynamo Kiev.
Boateng off the mark for Frankfurt
Elsewhere, Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng scored his first goal in Germany's top flight for three years as Eintracht Frankfurt won 1-0 at Borussia Moenchengladbach.
After stints in Spain and Italy, Boateng slammed home his first Bundesliga goal since February 2014 with a crisp shot on 13 minutes.
However, he went off concussed after a clash with Gladbach's burly Danish defender Jannik Vestergaard.