Werder runs in vain
BVB saves victory after an early dream goal when they are outnumbered
March 9, 2024, 8:29 p.m
Borussia Dortmund quickly regains the Champions League place: After RB Leipzig’s victory, BVB follows up, the reactions speak for themselves: It’s an important victory!
Donyell Malen and Jadon Sancho work magic, Marcel Sabitzer flies: With a pinch of football art and a lot of passion, Borussia Dortmund stayed on course in the tight Champions League race and defended fourth place for the time being. Coach Edin Terzic’s team prevailed 2-1 (2-0) at Werder Bremen in the Saturday evening Bundesliga game despite being long outnumbered.
In the special game for returnee Niclas Füllkrug, Dortmund took the lead in the 21st minute with a side kick from Malen. Then Sancho showed his class in front of 42,100 spectators in the sold-out Weserstadion and scored his first goal since his return to make it 2-0 (38th). The red card against Sabitzer (45th + 1) for serious foul play caused unnecessary tension from BVB’s point of view and Justin Njinmah shortened the score for the hosts (70th).
The Westphalians, who will play against PSV Eindhoven next Wednesday for a place in the quarter-finals of the European premier class, kept their lead over time and are therefore unbeaten in eight away league games. The last time there was a longer run without defeat abroad was in the 2012/13 season under Jürgen Klopp – back then there were even ten games. It was the second setback in a row for Werder.
RB Leipzig beat Darmstadt 98 2-0 in the afternoon and thus increased the pressure on BVB. Borussia, who had been happy about securing their place in the 2025 Club World Cup this week, needed a win to defend their place in the premier class.
Before the game, Füllkrug received flowers when he said goodbye to Werder, but the friendliness ended with kick-off. The hosts had their first big chance, which was suspected to be offside, with Marvin Ducksch’s failed lob (8th). BVB reacted with long periods of possession that did not immediately lead to a goal threat.
The patience then paid off and BVB coach Terzic, who had ordered regular goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and also the recently suspended player back into the starting line-up, watched the events in front of his bench with increasing satisfaction. For Sancho, he scored the first goal in the Dortmund jersey since the 2021 cup final. But Sabitzer’s unnecessary sending off due to a kick in the Achilles tendon from Mitchell Weiser caused unrest again.
Werder sensed a chance to get back into the game with the restart. Before Njinmah’s goal, substitute Mats Hummels slipped past the ball. And the game was open again in the final phase.