bundesliga

Raphael Guerreiro, Marco Reus and Julian Brandt earn Borussia Dortmund Champions League qualification with win in Mainz

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Borussia Dortmund secured their place in next season's UEFA Champions League in emphatic style with a 3-1 win over Mainz, crowning a fine week for the Westphalians, who lifted the DFB Cup on Thursday.

Mainz 1-3 Borussia Dortmund
Goals: 0-1 Guerreiro (24'), 0-2 Reus (42'), 0-3 Brandt (80'), 1-3 Quaison (pen. 90'+1)

Less than 72 hours after lifting the DFB Cup, Dortmund were keen on fulfilling their second major objective of the season by securing their place in the UEFA Champions League, and there was a spring in their step with Jude Bellingham flashing an early shot wide after Gio Reyna's cross was blocked out to him by Jeremiah St. Juste, fresh from his inclusion in the preliminary Dutch squad for Euro 2020. Jadon Sancho then teed up Raphael Guerreiro to flash another shot past Finn Dahmen, with his effort nestling in the far corner to put Dortmund in front. Guerreiro and Sancho then combined to create another opening which Reus finished off to give Edin Terzic's men a comfortable half-time advantage.

A storm of a different kind hit Mainz before the second half could start, with heavy rain and thunder leading to a delay to the second 45 minutes. Moussa Niakhate tried to make the most of the slick conditions with a low drive which zipped off the surface, but was collected well by Roman Bürki. Robin Quaison also tested Bürki as the hosts started the second half strongly, almost reducing the arrears when Danny Latza's deflected effort brought a top-drawer save out of Dortmund's Swiss goalkeeper. Dahmen responded with a stunning save of his own to deny Sancho on the break, but he could not prevent Brandt from adding a third after good work from Erling Haaland to create space for the substitute to put the seal on Dortmund's berth in the Champions League next season, before Quaison earned some personal joy by becoming Mainz's all-time leading goalscorer in the Bundesliga with a late penalty.

Match stats

  • Dortmund have scored 49 of their 72 Bundesliga goals this season in the second half of matches.
  • Reus has scored for times in his last six league games.
  • Guerreiro has had a hand in four goals in as many matches (two goals, two assists).
  • With 11 assists, Sancho is in double figures for assists for the third straight season.
  • Quaison is now Mainz’s leading scorer in 2020/21 with five goals. He is now also their all-time Bundesliga top scorer with 30, one more than Yunus Malli and Mohamed Zidan.
  • Mainz’s best-ever single-season unbeaten streak came to an end at nine games.

Watch: Bellingham: "Happy to be playing Champions League next season"

Line-ups

Mainz: Dahmen - St. Juste, Hack, Niakhate - da Costa (Fernandes 46'), Barreiro, Latza (c) (Kohr 64'), Brosinski - Boetius (Stöger 72') - Glatzel (Quaison 46'), Onisiwo (Szalai 72')
Unused subs: Liesegang, Bell, Mwene, Öztunali
Out: Burkardt (thigh), Zentner (stomach)
Coach: Bo Svensson

Dortmund: Bürki - Meunier, Akanji, Hummels, Guerreiro (Schulz 76') - Bellingham (Delaney 87'), Dahoud - Sancho (Reinier 76'), Reus (c) (Hazard 84'), Reyna (Brandt 76') - Haaland
Unused subs: Drljaca, Passlack, Can, Knauff
Out: Hitz (knee), Morey (knee), Moukoko (shin), Piszczek (muscular), Schmelzer (knee), Witsel (Achilles' tendon), Zagadou (knee)
Coach: Edin Terzic 

Watch: Svensson: "We will be an example"