Maximilian Beier wins it at the death for Borussia Dortmund against resilient Cologne
Maximilian Beier scored a dramatic late winner as Borussia Dortmund defeated Cologne 1-0 at Signal Iduna Park.
Borussia Dortmund 1-0 CologneGoals: 1-0 Beier 90'+6 (assist: Silva)
Dortmund had seen their 14-match unbeaten run in the Bundesliga come to an end against Bayern Munich last week, dropping them from second to fourth in the table, seven points behind the leaders.
Meanwhile, Cologne arrived with confidence as the league's best-performing promoted team, having collected 11 points from their first seven matches. The visitors had been particularly impressive away from home, taking seven points from four matches.
The opening period saw Cologne start brightly, with teenage sensation Saïd El Mala causing problems for the Dortmund defence. The 19-year-old had the first effort of the match in the third minute, forcing a save from Gregor Kobel.
El Mala then squandered the best chance of the half in the 19th minute when he broke clear of the Dortmund defence but poked his shot just wide with only Kobel to beat.
At the other end, Karim Adeyemi looked lively for the hosts, firing over the bar after a corner and later forcing a good save from Marvin Schwäbe in the 34th minute.
Despite enjoying 66 percent possession, Dortmund struggled to break down the well-organised visitors, with El Mala continuing to cause problems on the counter-attack.
Schwäbe heroics but Beier breaks Cologne hearts
The second half saw Dortmund increase the pressure, with Serhou Guirassy missing a golden opportunity in the 52nd minute. The striker found himself with only Schwäbe to beat from close range, but the Cologne keeper produced a stunning reflex save to deny him.
Niko Kovač made a double change in the 68th minute, introducing Marcel Sabitzer and Beier, as Dortmund continued to dominate possession and create chances.
Schwäbe remained unbeatable, making crucial saves from Felix Nmecha and Julian Brandt.
Cologne's task became even harder in the 82nd minute when Timo Hübers suffered a serious knee injury and had to be stretchered off, leaving the visitors with 10 men having used all their substitutions.
Finally, deep into injury time, Dortmund's pressure told as Beier fired home in the 96th minute after a scramble in the box following a corner, securing all three points.
Player of the Match: Marvin Schwäbe
Despite ending up on the losing side, Schwäbe produced a performance of the highest quality between the posts for Cologne.
The German goalkeeper made five saves, including a spectacular reflex stop to deny Guirassy from close range early in the second half.
With an xSaves value of 3.8, Schwäbe significantly outperformed expectations, frustrating Dortmund's attackers throughout the match.
His positioning was impeccable, and his command of the penalty area provided security for Cologne's defence. Without his heroics, the scoreline could have been much more comfortable for the home side.
Schwäbe's performance was deservedly recognised with the highest fantasy points total (441) of any player on the pitch.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Dortmund 2.22 - Cologne 0.87
Fastest player: Saïd El Mala (Cologne), 34.96 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Maximilian Beier (Dortmund), 7 percent
Most pressed player: Karim Adeyemi (Dortmund), 28 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Pascal Groß (Dortmund), +2.85
Fantasy Heroes: Marvin Schwäbe (Cologne, 441 Points), Waldemar Anton (Dortmund, 270 Points), Ramy Bensebaini (Dortmund, 242 Points)
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