Borussia Dortmund secure Champions League spot with emphatic victory over Freiburg
Borussia Dortmund sealed UEFA Champions League qualification with an emphatic 4-0 win over Freiburg in their 1000th Bundesliga home game on Matchday 31. Maximilian Beier, Serhou Guirassy and Ramy Bensebaini scored in a dominant first half before substitute Fábio Silva completed the rout.
Borussia Dortmund 4-0 Freiburg
Goals: 1-0 Beier 8’ (assist: Bensebaini), 2-0 Guirassy 14’ (assist: Brandt), 3-0 Bensebaini 32’ (assist: Ryerson), 4-0 Silva 87’
Dortmund welcomed Freiburg to Signal Iduna Park for a historic occasion – their 1000th Bundesliga home match. After suffering back-to-back league defeats for the first time in 13 months, Niko Kovač's side were determined to return to winning ways and secure Champions League qualification.
The hosts made four changes from their loss to Hoffenheim, with Bensebaini, Guirassy, Julian Brandt and 18-year-old Samuele Inácio coming into the starting lineup, the latter making his first Bundesliga start. Freiburg, fresh from their midweek cup exertions, made seven changes, with Nicolas Höfler starting his first league game in over 14 months.
Dortmund made a bright start and broke the deadlock in the 8th minute with a wonderfully simple yet effective move. Bensebaini delivered a brilliant long ball that bypassed the entire Freiburg defence, finding Beier in space.
The forward, making his 100th Bundesliga appearance, coolly slotted past Noah Atubolu to give the hosts the lead. It was 2-0 just six minutes later as Dortmund countered with some slick passing. The move culminated with Julian Brandt curling a gorgeous cross into the six-yard box, where a grateful Guirassy was waiting to tap home. The visitors looked tired and struggled to contain a rampant BVB, who continued to create chances through Inácio and Bellingham.
The third goal arrived in the 32nd minute from a corner, with Bensebaini powerfully heading home Julian Ryerson's perfect delivery to effectively end the contest before half-time.
Freiburg showed more intent after the break but found Gregor Kobel in fine form, the Dortmund goalkeeper making several good saves to preserve his clean sheet. The visitors thought they had pulled a goal back in the 55th minute when Lukas Kübler headed home from a free-kick, but VAR ruled the effort out for offside.
Both coaches made a series of substitutions which disrupted the flow of the game, with Dortmund content to manage their commanding lead. The hosts still threatened occasionally, with Atubolu denying Inácio from close range after a good move. The icing on the cake came in the 87th minute when substitute Silva, on for Guirassy, swivelled and clinically found the corner of the net to make it 4-0.
The victory, Dortmund's joint-biggest in the Bundesliga this season, secured their place in next season's Champions League.
Man of the Match: Maximilian Beier
Beier celebrated his 100th Bundesliga appearance in style with an excellent all-round performance crowned by the opening goal. His cool finish from Bensebaini's long ball set the tone for Dortmund's dominant display, and he remained a constant threat throughout.
The statistics underline his influence - Beier was the fastest player on the pitch, clocking 33.79 km/h, and faced the most pressure from opponents (19 instances) while still maintaining his effectiveness. His intelligent movement and link-up play also contributed to Dortmund's fluid attacking display before he was substituted to a warm ovation in the 88th minute, making way for 16-year-old Mathis Albert to make his Bundesliga debut.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Dortmund 2.87 - Freiburg 0.78
Fastest player: Beier (Dortmund), 33.79 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Beier (Dortmund), 18 per cent
Most pressed player: Beier (Dortmund), 19 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Schlotterbeck (Dortmund), +5.17
Fantasy Heroes: Bensebaini (Dortmund, 472 Points), Beier (Dortmund, 287 Points), Guirassy (Dortmund, 262 Points)
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