With an away win, Borussia Dortmund gained self-confidence for the complicated second leg of the round of 16 in the Champions League against PSV Eindhoven. BVB won 2-1 (2-0) at Werder Bremen on Saturday evening despite being outnumbered at halftime and successfully defended fourth place in the table ahead of RB Leipzig, who had previously beaten SV Darmstadt 98 2-0 in the race for qualification the premier football league had presented.
On Wednesday, Dortmund face Eindhoven with former coach Peter Bosz.
In front of 42,100 spectators in the sold-out Weserstadion, Donyell Malen (21st minute) and Jadon Sancho (38th) scored the goals for the black and yellow, who had to play outnumbered the entire second half. Marcel Sabitzer was shown a red card in stoppage time in the first half for serious foul play. Werder made it 1-2 through Justin Njinmah (70′), but it wasn’t enough for the hosts.
Dortmund’s national striker Niclas Füllkrug failed to score on his return to the Weser. Füllkrug was received with much applause by the Werder supporters and was officially farewelled before the game. The attacker was presented with a Werder jacket and a photo collage with his best scenes in the green and white jersey. “I’m really looking forward to the stadium, the fans and the whole environment in Bremen,” the 31-year-old told the multimedia portal “Deichstube” before the game.
But his former teammates made it difficult for Füllkrug. The goalscorer was hardly able to make an impact against the Werder defense, which Niklas Stark carefully directed on his return after a long injury break. Füllkrug was substituted in the 65th minute.
Even without a noticeable filling jug, Dortmund went into the break with a lead. After Bremen goalkeeper Michael Zetterer was unable to hold on to a fluttering long-range shot from national player Julian Brandt, Malen made it 1-0 with a spectacular side kick.
Shortly before the break, Sancho increased the score to 2-0. This time Füllkrug was even involved. On the counterattack, the attacker passed the ball to Brandt, who served Sancho. The loanee from Manchester United outplayed the 22-year-old Werder newcomer Julian Malatini and shot into the near corner – as with the first goal, Zetterer didn’t look good.
Published/Updated: Published/Updated: Published/Updated:
After Sabitzer was sent off, Dortmund limited themselves to managing their lead in the second half. That went well for a while because Bremen had little to do offensively. But 20 minutes before the end, BVB’s passivity took its revenge. Njinmah, who returned to the Weser before the season after a loan from Dortmund, reduced the score to 1:2 and ensured an exciting final phase. But the BVB defense withstood the pressure.
