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With an array of heavy artillery left out of the line-up, the hunters became the hunted as a youthful Borussia Dortmund side were taught a lesson in ruthlessness by Lazio.
A spell-binding final half-hour of attacking play came close to the Italians ram-raiding all three points after Ciro Immobile struck a controversial penalty with 23 minutes to go.
The soft penalty came via a Nico Schulz challenge just millimetres inside the box in which the striker fell dramatically to the ground despite the defender winning the ball. The goal cancelled out Raphael Guerreiro’s first-half strike.
Raphael Guerreiro opened the scoring after finding the net for Dortmund in the 44th min
However, Ciro Immobile equalised in the 67th minute of the game to end the game 1-1
Immobile nearly pushed further salt down the gaping wound in the 86th minute, only for goalkeeper Roman Burki to pull off a brilliant diving stop.
Lazio badly needed a win to avoid a do-or-die shootout with Club Brugge next week for a place in the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, Dortmund entered the fixture knowing victory would secure top spot in their group, and crucially progression to the next round.
But Lucien Favre’s side were already facing an uphill battle — against the only side they have been beaten by in this campaign — before a ball had been kicked.
Their world-feared finisher Erling Braut Haaland was out injured alongside senior full backs Thomas Meunier and Marcel Schmelzer, with star playmakers Jadon Sancho and Julian Brandt on the bench.
The usual back four was forcibly converted to three and the fountain of youth was sprayed across the line-up.
17, 18 and 20 years old respectively, starlets Jude Bellingham, Giovanni Reyna and Mateu Morey were all given starts.
And that youthful dynamism oozed from kick-off as the home side played a range of probing passes in the Italian’s half, mercilessly camping Lazio in their own area for the best part of 10 minutes.
But the fearlessness to drive forward nearly brought The Eagles a goal against the run of play — defender Manuel Akanji’s careless short pass picked up by Joaquin Correa on 18 minutes but he squandered the chance when faced by keeper Burki.
The ball had then been rapidly punted to the opposite penalty area to English star Bellingham, who felt he had been fouled in a 50/50 challenge with centre back Francesco Acerbi.
Play on, referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz motioned. A close but correct call.
A moment of madness had suddenly lit up this match from possessional warfare which Lazio had keenly not been obliging with.
The two sides were bobbing and weaving like two boxers replying blow for blow.
Midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s cross driven from the edge of the box flew inches from Acerbi’s boot.
Cue one minute later, BVB’s Thorgan Hazard rifled shot rebounded to Marco Reus who could get the ball between goalkeeper Pepe Reina’s legs but not between the posts.
The plethora of wasted opportunities sprung up the obvious question — how badly is Haaland needed?
Dortmund were forced to go without star striker Erling Haaland due to a hamstring injury
While the likes of Jadon Sancho started the game on the bench – coming on for Marco Reus
A 52 per cent fewer win ratio when the Norwegian isn’t in the side told it all.
Dortmund’s profligacy ended with a sucker-punch one minute before half-time.
A neat pattern of fast passes lead to Hazard releasing a sublime first time through ball for Guerreiro to slide past Reina.
Their seven unconvincing first-half attempts at goal had somehow amounted to a lead. The Italians left the field with a look of disgust — the harsh vagaries of football.
That venom seeped through the formation tweak after the break to have the forward line press further up the pitch in search for an elusive equaliser.
The home side immediately countered — Reyna’s low strike kept out by Reina.
Bellingham showed glimpses of why he earned a move from Birmingham to Borussia as he danced in the pocket behind Hazard and Reyna to cause the opposition defence headaches.
Lazio’s Immobile often needs just one sight at goal to make the opposition pay and he very nearly did, only for Burki to pull off a great acrobatic save.
And then the moment which pivoted the match arrived 67 minutes in. Immobile, millimetres inside the box, melted to the floor as Schulz came charging in to tackle.
Despite scoring for Lazio, Immobile’s goal was not enough to see them overcome Dortmund
Dortmund have retained their top spot in their Champions League group, with Lazio second
Schulz just about won the ball and the Italian theatrically hurtled to the deck. It was soft indeed and the subsequent awarding of a penalty was arguably unjust.
Immobile made no mistake, tucking away the penalty and breathing life into his side’s chances.
Manager Simone Inzaghi was not done there — he could smell three points. On came three moderately attacking substitutions immediately in Manuel Lazarri, Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro and former Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira.
Both sides did not relent but Immobile very nearly had the last say with a half-volley four minutes from time sprawled away from the goal by a last-ditch Burki stop.
The Eagles fly home knowing a similar display shown in the final half hour of attacking volition against Club Brugge next week will give them every chance of going through to the knockout stages.
But how they will wish that intent was shown earlier against a Borussia side brandishing pistols rather than shotguns.
