Sports editorial, Dec 3 (EFE).- Borussia Dortmund, tied to a solitary and early goal from Julian Ryerson, stopped Bayer Leverkusen who, although they were saved at the last minute from the defeat that threatened them, left two points that can cost the sole leadership of the Bundesliga.
Nigerian Victor Boniface’s goal ten minutes from time prevented Xabi Alonso’s team from suffering its first defeat of the season. They are provisionally three points ahead of Bayern Munich, who can hunt them down if they win the match against the bottom team, Unión Berlin, scheduled for Saturday but postponed due to bad weather. If the champions get the three points, they will be ahead of Leverkusen on goal difference.
Dortmund ended Xabi Alonso’s impeccable streak. Fourteen wins in a row among all competitions. Eight in a row in the Bundesliga. So far this year, Bayer Leverkusen had only given up one draw. Against Bayern Munich, on September 15. The one against Borussia Dortmund is the second game in which they have not achieved three points.
And it could have been worse for the local team because they ran into an orderly, experienced rival, driven by their good work in the Champions League, reinforced by their victory on Tuesday against Milan, who vigorously defended the goal scored after five minutes by Julian Ryerson who took advantage of a back pass from Niclas Fulkurge to beat Lukas Hradecky in a one-on-one match.
From here on it was an exercise in survival for the visitors led by Edin Terzic and one frustration after another for Xabi Alonso’s block that tried in every way and lacked success to put the game on track.
It was harassment of the visiting area. The Swiss Granit Xhaka tested Gregor Kobel. Also the Spanish Alex Grimaldo, in a free kick. The visiting goalkeeper supported Dortmund at all times but also the defense, determined with aerial balls. Especially Mats Hummels and Nico Schlotterbeck who multiplied.
Bayer Leverkusen increased its insistence in the second half although Dortmund began to threaten with some counterattack. Odion Kossounou, Florian Wirtz, Jonas Honfmann… all were dangerous actions without reward for Alonso’s team.
The prize came at the end, in a good choir action that took the ball to the Czech Patrik Schick, who had just come onto the field of play, who assisted Boniface who pushed the ball into the net through an empty goal.
Bayer Leverkusen was not satisfied with a draw and sought victory, but with more drive than head and with just enough strength, imprecise, crazy. It was less difficult for Dortmund to maintain their form and protect the point they had clung to until the end because they felt defeat was close.
— Datasheet:
1 – Bayer Leverkusen: Lukas Hradecky; Odilon Kossounou, Jonathan Tah, Edmond Tapsoba; Jeremie Frimpong, Granit Xhaka, Exequiel Palacios (Patrik Schick, m.79), Alex Grimaldo; Jonas Hofmann (Amine Adli, m.64), Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface.
1 – Borussia Dortmund: Gregor Kobel; Marius Wolf, Mats Hummels, Nico Schlotterbeck (Antonio Papadopoulos, m.65), Julian Ryerson; Marcel Sabitzer, Emre Can; Julian Brandt, Marco Reus (Thomas Meunier, m.84), Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (Karim Adeyemi, m.65); and Nicholas Fulkrug.
Goles: 0-1,m.5: Julian Ryerson; 1-1, m.80: Victor Boniface
Referee: Daniel Siebert. He showed yellow cards to Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, Exequiel Palacios and Odilon Kossounou and Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels and Marius Wolf.
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Santiago Aparicio
2023-12-03 18:49:41
#Dortmund #stops #Xabi #Alonso
