Dortmund grind out win over ten-man Bremen

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Borussia Dortmund made a winning start to 2017 away to ten-man SV Werder Bremen on Matchday 17.

SV Werder Bremen 1-2 Borussia Dortmund

Goals: 0-1 Schürrle, 1-1 Bartels (59'), 1-2 Piszczek (70')

Sent off: Drobny (39')

How did Saturday's clash affect your Official Fantasy Bundesliga score? Click here to find out.

Dortmund made the perfect start as Marco Reus instinctively threaded a clever ball into the path of Andre Schürrle, who made no mistake when through on goal. The Germany international threatened a second, but Jaroslav Drobny did just enough to shovel his goal-bound strike behind. Bremen rallied with chances of their own falling to Max Kruse and Niklas Moisander, only to have Drobny sent off late in the half for a professional foul on Reus.

Man of the match

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Dortmund sought to ram home their numerical advantage as Reus tested Felix Wiedwald, but Bremen had not read the script and levelled just shy of the hour-mark. Stunned into action by Fin Bartel's third goal in six matches, Tuchel called on the cavalry. Ousmane Dembele and Raphael Guerreiro duly delivered, with the two BVB substitutes combining to set up unlikely match-winner Lukasz Piszczek 20 minutes from normal time.

Schürrle put in an lively shift in attack and will be confident of adding to his tally in the weeks ahead, not least after scoring all nine of his Bundesliga goals in 2015/16 during the second half of the season.

Talking point

No Aubameyang? No problem! Dortmund did the job in Bremen and, with goalscorers in every position, are unlikely to struggle in their leading scorer's absence.

Match stats

    Piszczek has scored a career-high four Bundesliga goals after 17 matches.Thomas Delaney is the 31st different player to appear in the Bundesliga for Bremen this season - a league record.Drobny was sent off on his 200th Bundesliga appearance.

Line-ups

Bremen: Drobny - Bauer, Sane, Moisander, Garcia - Delaney, Fritz (c) (Kaintz 80') - Bartels, Gnabry (Velkovic 26') - Pizarro (Wiedwald 42'), Kruse

Coach: Alexander Nouri

Dortmund: Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Sokratis, Ginter, Schmelzer (c) (Durm 46') - Weigl - Pulisic, Castro (Guerreiro 70'), Kagawa, Reus (Dembele 70') - Schürrle

Coach: Thomas Tuchel

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Watch: Marco Reus was relieved Dortmund won in the end!: