Dortmund secure vital victory to upset high-flying Leipzig in Bundesliga clash
Dortmund’s dismal start to the season has heaped pressure on new manager Nuri Sahin, and his plight hasn’t been helped by an injury crisis that’s decimated the squad. Despite that, the hosts were straight onto the front foot here in a dominant first half.
Jamie Gittens was proving a danger man, first standing a cross up to the back post for Maximilian Beier, who could only head a big chance wide on his 50th Bundesliga appearance.
Gittens himself then fired a shot straight at Peter Gulacsi after being found by Julian Brandt, and that miss would prove costly when Leipzig took the lead with their first shot.
It may have taken 27 minutes, but it was worth the wait for the visitors as Lois Openda’s backheel found Benjamin Sesko, whose shot burst through Alexander Meyer and in via the underside of the crossbar.
Signal Iduna Park was stunned, but the hosts were not dismayed and nearly drew level immediately through Gittens, but the Englishman’s effort was brilliantly denied by Gulacsi’s outstretched leg.
Relief amongst the travelling contingent would be short-lived, however, as their lead vanished from the resulting corner when Beier turned home from Felix Nmecha’s knockdown to restore parity and score for the first time in Dortmund colours.
It was no less than Die Schwarzgelben deserved, as a fourth consecutive head-to-head between the sides produced exactly two first-half goals.
The opening stages of the second half were far more low-key by comparison, with Gulácsi continuing to stand firm as he smothered a close-range effort from Nico Schlotterbeck.
He’d have no answer to Serhou Guirassy, however, with Dortmund’s new marksman heading home his eighth goal for the club after being found by Beier’s cross to give the hosts a merited lead.
Leipzig needed to respond, but Dortmund captain Emre Can – deputising at centre-back – made a superb goalline clearance to deny Eljif Elmas before Brandt was denied by another superb save from Gulacsi.
A late surge of pressure from the Red Bulls never materialised, with Marco Rose’s men struggling in attack throughout the contest. As a result, they suffer a first defeat in 11 Bundesliga away matches, falling three points adrift of early pacesetters Bayern Munich.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund)