Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Borussia Monchengladbach
This was a much-anticipated match to end the year for many fans.
This important six-pointer could have become a critical point in Borussia Dortmund’s chase for the Bundesliga title if they failed to stop a good Borussia Monchengladbach side. Considering that they came from a loss, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if they finished with a draw.
However, the BVB outplayed their opponents and brought delight to the thousands cheering at the Signal Iduna Park. The fact that Gladbach had to use a handball to get a goal of their own was a testament to Dortmund’s form on the day.
Highlights of the game
Dortmund were unexpectedly trodden down as they suffered a shock defeat to Fortuna Dusseldorf away from the Signal Iduna Park. However, Lucien Favre didn’t have any reason to hit the panic button yet. While he made changes to the backline, the team’s attacking core is still the same.
Team captain Marco Reus believed that the team underperformed and wasn’t mentally ready when they played Dusseldorf. He asked more attacking dominance from his team-mates, and his team-mates positively responded to his emphatic call.
Since this was a Borussen derby, both teams played tough defence in the game’s opening minutes. Jadon Sancho had multiple corner attempts to set the BVB’s first goal of the game. However, Die Fohlen‘s backline managed to stave off the ball and prevent an early game from Reus or Dortmund talisman Paco Alcacer.
Thorgan Hazard was determined to get the three points and close in on the league leaders to make the season interesting. He was especially active during the first 20 minutes as he got hold of the football. However, Reus was the first to make a threatening chance in the 20th minute when he forced Yann Sommer to make a great save.
Dieter Hecking’s team tightened up after that close shave, and the game was set to follow some cheeky Bundesliga 2018 betting tips made by a top punter. Alcacer had to leave the pitch due to injury with Mario Gotze replacing him. The two teams have excellent talent on both sides, and it seemed like 45 minutes would pass without a goal being scored.
However, Reus, Gotze and Sancho would complete a counter despite being overwhelmed by defenders. Reus started the attack from the left and made the pass to the middle. Gotze quickly gave the ball to the young Sancho, and the England international drove a bit to the right before pulling off a superb shot from a narrow angle to put the BVB ahead.
The celebrations at the Signal Iduna Park was quickly shushed when Christoph Kramer scored a controversial equaliser in the 45th minute. A cross from the right saw the ball end up where the midfielder was. He wasn’t able to control the ball, but his hand managed to control the ball for him to slot easily past Roman Burki.
The replays clearly showed the violation, but the VAR referees didn’t notify referee Felix Zwayer of the infraction. Despite the complaints from several yellow shirts, the goal stood. The half ended in a very controversial draw.
Favre’s lads were clearly frustrated with the way things have gone for them and came out of the locker room motivated to get the lead back. Raphael Guerreiro almost got Dortmund back on the front foot in the 49th minute when a perfect cross found him for a header. Unfortunately for him, the ball flew over the bar.
However, it didn’t take long for Dortmund to find the second goal thanks to some brilliant work from the two Dortmund vets. Sancho passed the ball to Gotze on the right wing of Gladbach’s final third after winning the ball in their own half. Gotze waited for the play to develop before unleashing a bullet through pass towards Sommer. A blitzing Reus got to the ball and tapped the ball far enough from Sommer’s outstretched hands.
Borussia Monchengladbach then upped the tempo and did everything they could to put the game back on equal grounds, but Dortmund didn’t let off the gas pedal until the game’s end. Reus almost made it 3-1 with a fantastic free kick in the 65th minute, but the post denied him of the glory.
Many SBOBET football fans are happy with how the game went for the BVB. It was a fairly close contest, and not everyone saw Dortmund winning with such a dominant performance. However, that’s exactly what happened.
Key Statistics
Dortmund outplayed their guests in almost all aspects of the game. The BVB had 12 attempts to Gladbach’s three, 15 free kicks and four corners on a 91% pass completion rate. They forced the defence to commit 12 fouls, and this is with Alcacer out of the game since the 25th minute.
The potent Gladbach duo of Plea and Hazard were rendered helpless by the hard-pressing Dortmund defence. Neither forward made any shot attempts and weren’t felt by the visiting Gladbach fans. This isn’t a knock on their attacking ability, however; this is a testament to how great Favre’s tactical scheme is.
What’s next?
This six-pointer ensured that the BVB will at least have a six-point lead by the end of the year regardless of Bayern Munich’s performance against Eintracht Frankfurt. The team can then enjoy a month-long break before they get back to Bundesliga action against RB Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena.
Meanwhile, Gladbach will have to just brush this result aside and focus on playing their own brand of football. They will play two friendlies before resuming league action against Leverkusen.
There is a lot more football to be played, so remember to check this page for weekly Bundesliga 2018 updates.
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