Dortmund fly past Frankfurt
Dortmund - Fresh from preserving their unbeaten record in the UEFA Champions League, Borussia Dortmund secured a well-earned 3-0 win against high-flying Eintracht Frankfurt.
Rocket Reus
While both teams ended up with ten men, Marco Reus was undoubtedly the star of the show after netting a superbly-taken hat-trick.
Dortmund immediately went on the front foot, building up early pressure by combining incisively at break-neck speed. Reus was at the heart of BVB's most promising moves and wasted little time in making his mark, as he first laid the ball off on his chest, before spinning beyond his marker to collect Mario Götze's through ball and fire past Frankfurt keeper Kevin Trapp.
In fine predatory fashion it then took just 94 seconds for the 23-year-old to double his tally, timing his run to perfection to receive Mats Hummels' defence-splitting pass before curling his effort into the bottom corner.
Eagles handed lifeline
It was the first time this season that Frankfurt had conceded twice inside the opening quarter of an hour and the Eagles were visibly shell-shocked. The visitors couldn't get to grips with Dortmund's relentless pressing though, and struggled to impose themselves in the final third, with Srdjan Lakic's header as close as they came to a response.
Time and space on the ball were a luxury afforded to neither side, but the reigning champions suffered a setback on the half hour mark when Julian Schieber, making his first start since Matchday 6, was sent off for a second bookable offence. Now playing without a recognised striker, Dortmund opted to stifle Frankfurt's forward movements, but occasionally rode their luck as Sebastian Rode and Takashi Inui both tried and failed to reduce the arrears before the break.
No letting up
Dortmund only had 39 per cent of possession in the opening 45 minutes and were seemingly content to allow the visitors to dictate proceedings after the break too, although Jürgen Klopp's troops were a constant threat on the counter. Götze was running the show, flashing one effort just wide and another straight at Trapp from a tight angle, either side of Neven Subotic's improvised volley which hit the woodwork.
Frankfurt's momentum from the latter stages of the first half had dwindled and after Lakic dragged Eintracht's best chance of the game off target from Olivier Occean's knock down, the visitors saw themselves fall further behind. Götze danced his way into the box, forcing Trapp to commit, before flicking the ball into the path of Reus, who finished with aplomb to complete his hat-trick.
Done and dusted
Ten minutes from time Inui received his marching orders having already seen yellow earlier in the half. With the playing field now level once more, Dortmund could afford to take their foot off the pedal and play the clock down.
The hosts' composure in possession almost turned into complacency though. Sebastian Jung smashed a late effort off the crossbar, but with the damage already done, Dortmund kept their clean sheet intact to collect their fourth win in five since the turn of the year.
Line-ups and statistics
James Thorogood
