Jadon Sancho fires Borussia Dortmund into the top four and ends RB Leipzig's title challenge
Jadon Sancho scored a brace as Borussia Dortmund moved into the top four and handed Bayern Munich the title with victory over Julian Nagelsmann's RB Leipzig, in a dress rehearsal of next week's DFB Cup final.
Borussia Dortmund 3-2 RB Leipzig
Goals: 1-0 Reus (7'), 2-0 Sancho (51'), 2-1 Klostermann (63'), 2-2 Olmo (77'), 3-2 Sancho (87')
The injury-enforced absence of Erling Haaland - along with Nagelsmann's summer move to Bayern - dominated the pre-match chat, but Dortmund took it in their stride. After surviving an early scare when Marwin Hitz thwarted Leipzig's Hwang Hee-chan one-on-one, BVB forged ahead through captain Marco Reus. The Germany international started the move with a quite brilliant dummy of Lukasz Piszczek's inside pass, before continuing his run, collecting Thorgan Hazard's cool flick and firing beyond Peter Gulacsi with aplomb. The electric start gave way to a more measured approach for the remainder of the half, albeit with Dortmund asking all the questions. Hazard tested Gulacsi with a shot from inside the area, while Sancho drove into the side netting from a similar position following a lightning counter.
Leipzig showed signs of life soon after the restart as Marcel Sabitzer warmed the palms of substitute goalkeeper Roman Bürki - on at half-time for the injured Hitz - but were given a mountain to climb in the 51st minute. Raphael Guerreiro fed Sancho, who cut inside of his marker and curled a precision-perfect strike into the far corner of Gulacsi's goal for 2-0. Dortmund appeared to be in complete control, but were pegged back just past the hour when Lukas Klostermann headed home Emil Forsberg's corner. Leipzig tails up, substitute Justin Kluivert found the side netting before Dani Olmo turned in a cross from Hwang to level. Dayot Upamecano denied Reus a clear sight of goal in the closing stages, but there was no stopping Sancho, who capped a superb team move with a late winner that ensures the Bundesliga title will stay in Munich for another season. With two games to go, the Black-Yellows could yet join the record champions in the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League.
Match stats
- Haaland has hit 25 Bundesliga goals this season at a rate of one every 89 minutes.
- Reus has had a hand in four goals in his last five Bundesliga appearances. He has contributed at least one goal in five of his six meetings with Leipzig. All six of his league goals this season have given BVB the lead in matches.
- Sancho scored his seventh and eighth Bundesliga goals of the season - but first brace. All have fallen in 2021.
- Klostermann is Leipzig's 16th different scorer of the current Bundesliga campaign - a club record.
- Bürki made his first Bundesliga start since Matchday 18.
- Nagelsmann has only won one of his 11 Bundesliga meetings with Dortmund (whilst in charge of Hoffenheim in May 2018). He has drawn four and lost the other six.
Watch: Sancho: "I hope Haaland's fit for the cup final"
Line-ups
Dortmund: Hitz (Bürki 46') - Piszczek, Akanji, Hummels, Guerreiro - Can, Dahoud (Delaney 60') - Sancho, Reyna (Knauff 82'), Hazard (Brandt 72') - Reus (c)
Unused subs: Schulz, Jesus, Meunier, Tigges, Passlack
Out: Bellingham (suspended), Haaland (knock), Morey (knee), Moukoko (shin), Schmelzer (knee), Witsel (Achilles' tendon), Zagadou (knee)
Coach: Edin Terzic
Leipzig: Gulacsi - Klostermann (Halstenberg 82'), Upamecano, Orban - Henrichs (Mukiele 64'), Sabitzer (c), Kampl (Laimer 74'), Angelino (Haidara 74') - Olmo, Forsberg (Kluivert 64') - Hwang
Unused subs: Martinez, Konate, Poulsen, Sorloth
Out: Adams (back), Nkunku (back), Samardzic (knee), Szoboszlai (groin)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
Watch: Nagelsmann: "The cup final won't be much different"
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