Borussia Dortmund guarantee Champions League with Cologne draw
Borussia Dortmund ensured that they could end the season no lower than fourth with a goalless draw at home to Cologne, stretching their two-year undefeated run at the SIGNAL IDUNA PARK in the process.
Borussia Dortmund 0-0 Cologne
Dortmund started the brighter of the two sides in front of the famous Yellow Wall, and should have taken the lead early on when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put the jets on before squaring for Marco Reus, but the Germany forward fired over the bar. Milos Jojic – against the tide – had the chance to make it 1-0 at the other end when Anthony Modeste and Matthias Lehmann combined to tee him up, but the former BVB youngster flashed his effort wide. Reus even had the ball in the net just past the half-hour, but his goal was ruled out for offside and the sides went into the break at 0-0.
Reus tested Horn again at the start of the second half, but the Olympic silver medallist proved equal to his attempt. By the hour, BVB had completed 280 passes to the Billy Goats’ 100, but they struggled to find a way through. Gonzalo Castro chipped a ball into the onrushing Christian Pulisic late on, but the chance came to nothing and it ended all square.
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Man of the Match
Reus was a constant menace throughout. With less than 900 minutes to his name this season there were question marks around the forward’s fitness, but he put in a game-high 29 sprints and 57 fast runs before making way for Ousmane Dembele on 66 minutes, and was desperately unlucky not to end the game with a goal.
Watch: Click the PLAY button below to experience BVB's Yellow Wall first hand!
Talking Point
Dortmund have not been beaten at their SIGNAL IDUNA PARK in over two years and now 36 home matches. Thomas Tuchel’s young team took some months to click into gear this season, but they are looking ever-more comfortable as a unit and will approach next season’s Champions League campaign with relish.
Match Stats
- BVB haven’t experienced a home defeat in the Bundesliga since losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich in April 2015 – two years and 26 days ago.Dortmund collected just their ninth clean sheet of the season.Cologne coach Peter Stöger has still never lost against BVB as a coach, recording two wins and four draws to date.
Line-ups:
Dortmund: Bürki - Durm, Ginter, Sokratis (Piszczek 74’), Schmelzer (c) - Castro, Weigl – Reus (Dembele 66’), Kagawa (Guerreiro 66’), Pulisic - Aubameyang
Coach: Thomas Tuchel
Cologne: Horn - Klünter, Sörensen, Subotic, Heintz – Jojic (Özcan 80’), Lehmann (c), Hector – Rudnevs (Zoller 55’), Modeste, Bittencourt (Höger 71’)
Coach: Peter Stöger
Watch: Christian Pulisic reflects on the draw with Cologne