Karim Adeyemi's header helps Borussia Dortmund edge out Bayer Leverkusen
Goals from Aarón Anselmino and Karim Adeyemi secured a valuable 2-1 victory for Borussia Dortmund at the BayArena, despite Christian Kofane's late strike for Bayer Leverkusen.
Leverkusen 1-2 DortmundGoals: 0-1 Anselmino 41’ (assist: Svensson), 0-2 Adeyemi 65’ (assist: Silva), 1-2 Kofane 83’ (assist: Maza)
Both sides entered this top-four clash in confident mood after impressive midweek UEFA Champions League victories, with Leverkusen having stunned Manchester City away from home and Dortmund comfortable 4-0 winners against Villarreal.
Before kick-off, players and fans observed a minute's silence in memory of former Leverkusen player and 1974 World Cup winner Dieter Herzog, who passed away recently.
Watch: Leverkusen and Dortmunf pay tribute to Dieter Herzog
Anselmino breaks the deadlock
The first significant chance of the game fell to Ernest Poku, who raced into Dortmund's box but fired over from a promising position in the 10th minute.
A personal duel between Nico Schlotterbeck and Malik Tillman saw both players receive yellow cards, while Edmond Tapsoba was also cautioned for a foul on Karim Adeyemi in the 40th minute.
From the resulting free-kick, Daniel Svensson delivered a perfect cross that Aarón Anselmino met with a powerful header, sending the ball in off the left post to give Dortmund the lead shortly before half-time.
Clinical Dortmund withstand pressure
Leverkusen emerged with renewed purpose after the break, and Tillman should have equalised in the 55th minute when he headed wide from a good position.
Mark Flekken then produced a stunning reflex save to deny Serhou Guirassy's close-range header four minutes later.
However, the Leverkusen keeper was unable to reproduce his heroics a few minutes later as Dortmund doubled their lead in the 65th minute, when substitute Fabio Silva delivered an inviting cross that Adeyemi met with a perfectly directed header into the corner.
Leverkusen refused to surrender, with Jonas Hofmann striking the crossbar in the 71st minute before Poku suffered the same fate seven minutes later. The hosts finally broke through in the 83rd minute when Christian Kofane, on as a substitute for Patrik Schick, finished coolly from Ibrahim Maza's assist.
Despite late pressure, Niko Kovač's well-organised Dortmund side held firm to secure all three points. The win sees Dortmund leapfrog Leverkusen to move into third.
Man of the Match: Karim Adeyemi
The Dortmund forward was a constant threat throughout and made the decisive contribution with his well-taken header that ultimately proved to be the winner. Adeyemi showcased his exceptional pace, recording the fastest sprint of the match at 35.21 km/h, while his intelligent movement repeatedly troubled Leverkusen's defence. The goal continued his excellent recent form, marking the third consecutive match in which he has found the net. His work rate was also impressive, often tracking back to help defensively, and he drew the crucial foul from Tapsoba that led to Dortmund's opening goal.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Leverkusen 1.14 - Dortmund 1.15
Fastest player: Karim Adeyemi (Dortmund), 35.21 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 0-1 by Aarón Anselmino (Dortmund), 9 per cent
Most pressed player: Ibrahim Maza (Leverkusen), 21 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Felix Nmecha (Dortmund), +1.77
Fantasy Heroes: Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen, 323 Points), Aarón Anselmino (Borussia Dortmund, 283 Points), Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen, 258 Points)
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