Marcel Sabitzer's late free kick sends Borussia Dortmund past Werder Bremen in DFB Cup thriller
Borussia Dortmund have beaten Werder Bremen 3-2 in the DFB Cup second round. Serhou Guirassy and Carney Chukwuemeka put the hosts two goals clear before Niclas Füllkrug's brace levelled it with 20 minutes to go. However, Dortmund would ultimately have the last laugh, as Marcel Sabitzer settled the tie late on with a stoppage-time free kick.
Borussia Dortmund 3-2 Werder Bremen
Goals: 1-0 Guirassy 6’ (assist: Ryerson), 2-0 Chukwuemeka 17’ (assist: Bellingham), 2-1 Füllkrug 65’ (pen), 2-2 Füllkrug 69’ (assist: Lynen), 3-2 Sabitzer 90’+3
This DFB Cup second-round meeting followed a 2-2 Bundesliga draw between the sides earlier in the season, a game in which Bremen overturned a two-goal deficit in four minutes late on. The two clubs had also met in the cup before, with Bremen winning 3-2 in the last-16 back in February 2020 to eliminate Dortmund.
Niko Kovač made four changes to his side from the win over Eintacht Frankfurt, with Ramy Bensebaini suspended, while Daniel Thioune also rotated four players for Bremen, dropping Niclas Füllkrug to the bench.
Dortmund race into a two-goal lead
Dortmund were ahead within six minutes. Maximilian Beier found Julian Ryerson, whose touch sent Serhou Guirassy clear to sweep the ball home for 1-0. Guirassy's header from a corner was then ruled out for offside, before Dortmund doubled their lead in the 17th minute: Jobe Bellingham headed a Joey Veerman cross into the path of Carney Chukwuemeka, who finished into the far corner.
Bremen's best first-half chance fell to Cedric Itten, whose free header from ten yards was too central to trouble Gregor Kobel, and the hosts went in 2-0 up at the break.
Füllkrug drags Bremen level
Thioune made a quadruple change on the hour, sending on Niclas Füllkrug among others, and the substitute struck twice in four minutes. In the 65th minute, Ryerson pulled back Mick Schmetgens in the box, was booked, and Füllkrug sent Kobel the wrong way from the resulting penalty.
Three minutes later, Füllkrug ran onto a ball from Senne Lynen, drove through midfield and fired low into the far corner from range to make it 2-2. Kovač responded with three substitutions, bringing on Marcel Sabitzer, Daniel Svensson and Ethan Nwaneri.
Sabitzer's late strike settles it
With the tie finely balanced, Dortmund won a free kick around 25 yards out when Felix Nmecha was fouled in the third minute of stoppage time. Marcel Sabitzer curled his effort inside the near post to make it 3-2, sealing Dortmund's place in the next round after a tie that swung back and forth throughout the second half.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Dortmund 1.33 - Bremen 2.10
Fastest player: Nmecha (Dortmund), 34.03 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 3-2 by Sabitzer (Dortmund), 4 per cent
Pass efficiency: Veerman (Dortmund), +5.8
