Borussia Dortmund secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory against Werder Bremen in the DFB-Pokal second round at a sold-out Signal-Iduna-Park, advancing to the round of 16 thanks to a stoppage-time free-kick from Marcel Sabitzer.
Marcel Sabitzer Strikes in Stoppage Time to Avoid Extra Time
Borussia Dortmund reached the DFB-Pokal round of 16 after Marcel Sabitzer scored a decisive free-kick in the 93rd minute to defeat Werder Bremen 3-2. Speaking to Sky after the final whistle, Sabitzer described the strike as one of the most emotional moments of his career in a BVB shirt.
The late winner prevented extra time and rescued a match that had slipped from Dortmund’s control after a dominant first half. Niko Kovac’s side had established a comfortable two-goal cushion before halftime, only for Werder Bremen to level the score through substitute Niclas Füllkrug.
Sabitzer com um golaço a dar a vitória ao Dortmund 🙌📲 Vê o Dortmund x Werder Bremen grátis na APP da DAZN 👉 https://t.co/WahCUtevy5#DAZNPokal pic.twitter.com/WELMMBOfS8
Serhou Guirassy and Carney Chukwuemeka Build Early Two-Goal Lead
Playing in front of 81,365 fans, Borussia Dortmund started the fixture with intense attacking pressure, building on their early dominance over the visitors from Bremen. 18 days after a 2-2 draw between the two clubs in the Bundesliga, Maximilian Beier troubled the Werder defense down the left flank early on. In the sixth minute, Beier delivered a cross that Julian Ryerson directed into the penalty area for Serhou Guirassy, who finished with a direct volley to open the scoring.
Dortmund continued to press, and though Guirassy had a 14th-minute header from a corner disallowed by the video assistant referee for offside, the hosts doubled their advantage shortly after. Following an intelligent layoff from Jobe Bellingham in the 17th minute, Carney Chukwuemeka slotted his shot cleanly into the bottom right corner to make it 2-0. Despite further chances before the break, including a Guirassy header in the 38th minute, Dortmund went into halftime holding a two-goal advantage.
Niclas Füllkrug Sparks Werder Bremen Second-Half Comeback
Werder Bremen manager Daniel Thioune introduced Füllkrug and Mitchell Weiser off the bench at halftime to address a lopsided first half where the visitors rarely threatened. The tactical adjustments immediately altered the tempo of the match. In the 65th minute, Füllkrug converted a penalty kick awarded following a foul on Mick Schmetgens, cutting Dortmund’s lead to 2-1.
Just four minutes later, in the 69th minute, Füllkrug drove through the central midfield on an individual run before finishing past the BVB defense to equalize at 2-2, silencing the away supporters and igniting the visiting section. Weiser nearly completed the turnaround for Bremen in the 75th minute during a swift counter-attack, but his close-range effort missed the target.
Wegeweisend Week Continues Toward Bayern Munich Clash
The narrow cup victory marks the first hurdle cleared in a critical week for Borussia Dortmund, who have failed to advance past the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals in each of the past five seasons. Attention now shifts immediately to domestic competition. On Saturday evening at 18:30 local time (CET), Niko Kovac’s squad travels to Munich for a Bundesliga top-of-the-table clash against FC Bayern München, broadcast live on Sky.
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