bundesliga

Niclas Füllkrug inspires stirring Borussia Dortmund comeback against Borussia Mönchengladbach

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Niclas Füllkrug scored one and made another as Borussia Dortmund recovered from 2-0 down to beat Borussia Mönchengladbach in a thriller at the Signal Iduna Park.

Dortmund 4-2 Gladbach
Goals: 0-1 Reitz 13' (assist: Pléa), 0-2 Koné 28', 1-2 Sabitzer 30' (assist: Brandt), 2-2 Füllkrug 32' (assist: Bynoe-Gittens), 3-2 Bynoe-Gittens (assist: Füllkrug) 45', 4-2 Malen 90'+7

Winless in three Bundesliga games, Dortmund were all over the shop in the early stages as Luca Netz was allowed to make Gregor Kobel work with a shot from a tight angle. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens responded with an effort at Moritz Nicolas, but Gladbach carried the greater threat and took a deserved lead through Rocco Reitz's 40-yard run and cool finish off the inside of the far post. Manu Koné then took advantage of hesistant BVB defending from a corner with a thunderous strike from inside the penalty area for 2-0. Gladbach were pushing for a third, when Marco Reus won back possession and sent Julian Brandt on his way. The Dortmund talisman showed great composure to beat his marker and cross for Marcel Sabitzer to fire home with the aid of a deflection and give the hosts a lifeline. The Black-Yellows seized it two minutes later, with Füllkrug toeing a fine strike into the top corner. Füllkrug returned the favour on the stroke of half-time, touching the ball into the path of Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, who swept in from 18 yards to complete a remarkable turnaround.

Only a smart Nicolas save at the feet of Reus prevented a Dortmund fourth at the end of the first half, and it took a last-ditch intervention from Maximilian Wöber to stop the former Gladbach darling from turning in substitute Gio Reyna's header at the start of the second. It was one-way traffic as Bynoe-Gittens warmed the palms of Nicolas twice in quick succession, before Reus crashed a free-kick against the crossbar. Gladbach finally mustered an opening on the hour, but Nico Schlotterbeck was in the right place at the right time to thwart substitute Tomáš Čvančara in the penalty box. Dortmund substitute Donyell Malen tested Nicolas' reflexes in the closing stages, while Christoph Kramer volleyed agonisingly over at the other end. Malen broke from the ensuing corner, calmly finishing into the unguarded net to wrap up a win that lifts last season's Bundesliga runners-up back into the top four. Gladbach - who were enjoying a four-match unbeaten run in all competitions - slip into the bottom half of the standings, with 12 games played and four to go before the winter break.

Match stats

  • Füllkrug scored his fourth Bundesliga goal since moving to Dortmund from Werder Bremen.
  • Bynoe-Gittens opened his account for the season. It was the 19-year-old Englishman's fourth Bundesliga goal (23 appearances).
  • Malen ended a 70-day goal drought.
  • Reus made his first 97 Bundesliga appearances for Gladbach, scoring 36 goals. He has 118 goals in 228 top-flight games in Dortmund colours.
  • Dortmund have won their last nine home meetings with Gladbach by an aggregate score of 35-7.
  • Gladbach's away games this season have produced more goals (33, 16 scored, 17 conceded) than any other Bundesliga team.

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Watch: Bynoe-Gittens: "A tough game"

Teams

Dortmund: Kobel - Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini - Sabitzer (Reyna 46'), Can (c) (Özcan 67') – Bynoe-Gittens (Malen 67'), Reus (Wolf 90'+4), Brandt - Füllkrug (Moukoko 75')
Unused subs: Meyer, Morey, Meunier, Süle
Out: Adeyemi (illness), Duranville (thigh), Haller (illness), Lotka (suspended), Nmecha (hip)
Coach: Edin Terzić 

Gladbach: Nicolas - Scally, Elvedi, Wöber - Honorat (Hack 73'), Reitz (Ngoumou 61'), Weigl (c) (Kramer 82'), Koné, Netz - Jordan (Čvančara 46'), Pléa (Neuhaus 73')
Unused subs: Olschowsky, Chiarodia, Friedrich, Herrmann
Out: Borges Sanches (thigh), Itakura (ankle), Jantschke (hamstring), Lainer (illness), Omlin (shoulder), Ullrich (shoulder), Wolf (knee)
Coach: Gerardo Seoane