Julian Brandt and Maximilian Beier strike as Borussia Dortmund beat Gladbach
Borussia Dortmund claimed a 2-0 home victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach thanks to goals from Julian Brandt and Maximilian Beier to maintain their strong form in the Bundesliga.
Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Borussia Mönchengladbach
Goals: 1-0 Brandt 10' (assist: Süle), 2-0 Beier 90'+7 (assist: Silva)
Dortmund welcomed Gladbach to Signal Iduna Park looking to extend their impressive Bundesliga form, having lost just once all season – a 2-1 defeat at Bayern Munich on Matchday 7.
Niko Kovač's men were forced to cope without Ramy Bensebaini, who joined up with Algeria for the Africa Cup of Nations, and the suspended Jobe Bellingham. Gladbach, meanwhile, arrived in good spirits despite their five-match unbeaten run ending against Wolfsburg last time out, with Eugen Polanski's side having won their previous three away fixtures without conceding.
Brandt strikes early as Dortmund dominate
The home side started with intent, pressing high and asserting their authority from the first whistle. Their early dominance paid dividends in the 10th minute when Julian Brandt broke the deadlock with a superb volley. Niklas Süle provided the decisive cross from the right flank, finding Brandt unmarked at the far post to sweep home.
Dortmund continued to dictate proceedings, with Serhou Guirassy heading wide in the 14th minute. The hosts' relentless pressure nearly yielded a second goal on the half-hour mark when Karim Adeyemi forced Moritz Nicolas into a tremendous save from close range.
Gladbach gradually grew into the contest towards the end of the half, with Florian Neuhaus seeing a promising effort blocked by Süle in the 37th minute.
Beier seals the points in stoppage time
The visitors emerged with renewed purpose after the interval, with Neuhaus seeing another attempt blocked by Emre Can in the 48th minute. Dortmund's aggressive approach led to yellow cards for Can and Nico Schlotterbeck as the match grew increasingly physical.
Kovač introduced Maximilian Beier for Adeyemi on the hour mark, while Polanski responded by bringing on Grant-Leon Ranos for former Dortmund player Giovanni Reyna.
The hosts thought they had doubled their advantage through Guirassy, but his header was disallowed for offside. Nicolas continued to frustrate Dortmund with another brilliant save to deny Beier in the 89th minute.
However, the substitute had the final say, as he clinically converted Fabio Silva's pass in the seventh minute of stoppage time to secure a deserved 2-0 victory for the Black-Yellows.
Man of the Match: Julian Brandt
Brandt delivered a masterclass performance to guide Dortmund to victory. His clinical 10th-minute finish from Süle's cross set the tone for the match, marking his 40th Bundesliga goal in Dortmund colours.
The midfieder's vision and technical skill were evident throughout, as he orchestrated numerous attacks and consistently threatened the Gladbach defence.
His influence on the encounter was acknowledged by fans who voted him Man of the Match with 41 percent of the vote.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Dortmund 1.37 - Gladbach 0.37
Fastest player: Karim Adeyemi (Dortmund), 33.62 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Julian Brandt (Dortmund), 15 percent
Most pressed player: Haris Tabaković (Gladbach), 18 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Felix Nmecha (Dortmund), +2.74
Fantasy Heroes: Nico Schlotterbeck (Dortmund, 309 points), Niklas Süle (Dortmund, 261 points), Julian Brandt (Dortmund, 193 points)
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