SStrong start, shaky final phase – Borussia Dortmund held the lead in the Bundesliga for at least one day. With the 1-0 (1-0) win over TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, coach Edin Terzic’s team made amends for the poor performance in the last few minutes of the last home game against Bremen (2-3) and put the previous leaders from Munich ahead of them Top game on Saturday at pursuer Union Berlin under pressure.
In front of 79,300 spectators in Signal Iduna Park, Marco Reus (16th minute) ensured the deserved victory and a successful dress rehearsal before the start of the Champions League four days later at the same venue against FC Copenhagen. On the other hand, the guests missed a club start record and had to admit defeat for the first time after three wins in a row. “Especially in the first half we played an outstanding game, hardly allowing any chances to score. In the second, it didn’t work quite as well. We defended the zero, but we would also have liked to score a second goal,” said Dortmund coach Edin Terzic after the game.
Hoffenheim with problems
Undeterred by the loss of the three regulars Raphael Guerreiro, Karim Ademeyi and Mahmoud Dahoud, who will be absent for weeks due to an upcoming shoulder operation, BVB took control from the start. The increase in possession of the ball was initially not reflected in goal chances. But as the season progressed, the Hoffenheim defense came under more and more pressure. A direct pass from Julian Brandt to the center of the attack, which is well worth seeing, gave Borussia the lead when Reus hit the far corner from close range.
This early deficit made things difficult for the guests. It was only with luck that they escaped a bigger deficit against Borussia, who are now playing strongly, when new signing Anthony Modeste (19th) and young professional Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (22nd) missed good chances.
The fact that another player was injured in Bynoe-Gittens and had to be replaced by Thorgan Hazard before the break could not stop BVB’s enthusiasm. Reus (42nd) and Jude Bellingham (45th) were close to making it 2-0. On the other hand, the guests hardly put any emphasis on the offensive. Dortmund’s goalkeeper Gregor Kobel remained almost unemployed in the first half. 9:1 shots on goal in favor of Borussia were an expression of great superiority.
Only after the restart did Hoffenheim reveal a goal threat. A shot by Georginio Rutter (52′) from the edge of the penalty area just missed the Dortmund goal. Although this opportunity was not used, it gave the guests a boost. More and more they pressed the goal of Borussia, who had lost their dominance from the first half. After goalkeeper Oliver Baumann had thwarted two chances from Hazard and Modeste (67th), BVB began to tremble. Without setting any further playful accents, BVB saved the narrow lead over time.
