Foals beaten 4-2 in Dortmund despite early two-goal lead

Borussia lost 4-2 at BVB on the 12th Bundesliga matchday. Rocco Reitz and Manu Koné had put Gladbach 2-0 up, but Marcel Sabitzer, Niclas Füllkrug and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens turned the game around before the break. Donyell Malen wrapped up the win for Dortmund with the last kick of the game.

In front of 81,365 spectators at a sold-out Signal Iduna Park, the two sides cancelled each other out for the first few minutes, before the Foals began to take control as the game went on. After letting their first two chances go begging, Borussia took the lead through Rocco Reitz with less than 15 minutes on the clock. After just half an hour, Manu Koné extended Gladbach’s lead to 2-0 with a spectacular effort from about 16 yards out. But the buzz didn’t last long, as the hosts cut the deficit through Marcel Sabitzer two minutes later. Just two minutes after that, Niclas Füllkrug made it 2-2. Just before the break, Dortmund completed the turnaround. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens advanced into the penalty area and fired BVB into the lead.

After half time, the hosts were much more in control and created a succession of dangerous chances, including Reus hitting the bar with a free kick from around 17 yards out. BVB did not however take any of these chances. Instead, the Foals improved as the second half went on and also created opportunities. Christoph Kramer had the biggest of these in the sixth minute of injury time with a shot from around 15 yards that flew just over the bar. Following the Foals’ final corner, Donyell Malen scored Dortmund’s fourth goal. Nicolas was up for the set piece and the forward was able to slot into an empty net.

TEAM NEWS

Head coach Gerardo Seoane made just one change from the 4-0 home win against VfL Wolfsburg, with Jordan starting in place of Czechia international Tomáš Čvančara. Joe Scally, Nico Elvedi and Max Wöber made up the defensive line in front of goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas, with Franck Honorat (right) and Luca Netz (left) starting as wing-backs. Julian Weigl, Rocco Reitz and Manu Koné were the midfield. Alassane Plea and Jordan formed the attack.

The Foals were missing Tony Jantschke (thigh), Ko Itakura (recovering from an ankle operation), Jonas Omlin (recovering from a shoulder operation), Lukas Ullrich (shoulder operation), Hannes Wolf (recovering from a meniscus tear) and Yvandro Borges Sanches (recovery training after a thigh muscle issue) due to injury.

FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS

3’: The Foals create the first chance of the game. Koné does well in midfield and plays it to Netz on the left. The Germany U21 international’s effort is no problem for BVB goalkeeper Kobel.

11’. A dangerous Dortmund corner as Reus flicks it on towards Füllkrug. Netz is however awake to it and heads away from the danger area.

13’: The Foals take the lead! Plea has a lot of space in midfield and plays it through to Reitz. He brings it forward, keeps his cool and slots into the far corner for 1-0.

19’: The ball is in the back of the net again, but the goal does not count. Plea was just in an offside position before scoring.

28’: BVB fail to clear a Foals corner, and the ball comes to Honorat who puts another cross in. Koné hooks it towards goal and strikes cleanly into the net from around 16 yards out to make it 2-0.

30’: The hosts have an immediate answer. Reus plays it forward quickly, Brandt crosses to the far post from the right, where Sabitzer finishes for 2-1.

32’. BVB level the game at 2-2 in the space of two minutes. Bensebaini hits the ball forwards and Bynoe-Gittens heads it onto Füllkrug, who strikes into the far corner.

45’: Dortmund complete the turnaround.  The ball comes via Reus and Füllkrug to Bynoe-Gittens in the penalty area, who hits the back of the net from a central position to make it 3-2.

SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS

54’: Weigl is shown a yellow card for bringing down Reyna on the edge of the penalty area. Reus smashes the resulting free kick against the bar!

60’: A long ball forward finds Čvančara, who is tackled by Schlotterbeck in front of BVB’s goal.

90+6’: So nearly the equaliser! Kramer shoots from about 15 yards out, but the ball flies over the bar.

90+7’: Dortmund make it 4-2! Nicolas goes forward for a corner, BVB clear and Malen runs forward to finish into an empty net.

STATISTICS

Borussia: Nicolas – Scally, Elvedi, Wöber – Honorat (Neuhaus 72’), Netz – Weigl (Kramer 82’), Reitz (Ngoumou 61’), Koné – Plea (Hack 72’), Jordan (Čvančara 46’) // Unused substitutes: Olschowsky, Chiarodia, Friedrich, Herrmann

Dortmund: Kobel – Ryerson, Hummels, N. Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini – Can (Özcan 67’), Sabitzer (Reyna 46’), Reus (Wolf 90+4’), Brandt, Bynoe-Gittens (Malen 67’) – Füllkrug (Moukoko 73’) // Unused substitutes: Meyer, Morey Bauza, Meunier, Süle

Goals: 0-1 Reitz (19’), 0-2 Koné (28’), 1-2 Sabitzer (30’), 2-2 Füllkrug (32’), 3-2 Bynoe-Gittens (45’), 4-2 Malen (90+7’)

Yellow cards: Brandt / Weigl, Koné

Attendance: 81,365