Paco Alcacer and Lukasz Piszczek keep Borussia Dortmund four clear at the top

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Second half goals from Paco Alcacer and Lukasz Piszczek earned Borussia Dortmund a vital win in Mainz, taking them four points clear at the top the Bundesliga table.

Mainz 1-2 Borussia Dortmund

Goals: 1-0 Alcacer (66’), 1-1 Quaison (70’), 2-1 Piszczek (76’)

Dortmund began against Mainz as they left off against Bayern Munich last time out, dominating the opening proceedings. While controlling possession chances came for Axel Witsel and Marco Reus, the captain having the better of the two with his near post header hitting the side-netting. Mainz had been battling, but struggling to get into the game until the final 10 minutes of the half. Jean-Phillipe Mateta forced a save from Roman Bürki, but Dortmund handled the pressure to end the first half even.

The second half came alive at the Opel-Arena. Half chances came for Mario Götze, but the BVB forward couldn’t make the most of them and was replaced by Alcacer midway through the half. Two minutes after coming on and the Spaniard had his eighth goal as a substitute this season, tapping home from Reus’ pass across goal after Sancho’s brilliant through-ball. Mainz weren’t deterred, though, and levelled minutes later after Robin Quaison capatalised on a deflected pass to finish his chance past Bürki. Just six minutes later and Dortmund re-took the lead through an outstanding Lukasz Piszczek strike, going in off the bar at Robin Zentner’s near post. The league leaders held on to remain unbeaten, and kept their grip on top spot at four points ahead of Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Match stats

    Eight of Alcacer’s nine goals this season have come as a substitute.Reus has played 56 of his 244 Bundesliga games to date under Favre, starting every one and having a direct hand in 53 goals. Dortmund joint-top scorer Alcacer's nine goals in 244 minutes is a Bundesliga record among players to have netted at least nine times in the German top flight. Dortmund are unbeaten after 12 matches for only the second time in their history. The first was in 2002/03, when they finished third and Bayern won the league.Mainz's Robin Quaison scored his first goal of the season.

Line-ups

Mainz: Zentner – Brosinski, Bell (c), Hack (Boëtius 77’), Niakhate, Martin – Gbamin, Kunde, Latza (Maxim 83’) – Mateta, Quaison (Onisiwo 72’)
Unused subs: Huth, Donati, Ujah, Bungert
Absentees: Adler (knee), Baku (foot), Berggreen (muscular), Müller (ankle)
Coach: Sandro Schwarz

Dortmund: Bürki - Piszczek, Akanji, Zagadou, Hakimi (Diallo 83’) - Witsel, Delaney - Sancho, Reus (c), Bruun Larsen (Pulisic  77’) – Götze (Alcacer 64’)
Unused subs: Oelschlägel, Guerreiro, Dahoud, Toprak
Absentees: Schmelzer (knee)
Coach: Lucien Favre

Watch: Thomas Delaney says "Dortmund might have the best bench in Europe"

As it happened

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