Bayer 04 coach Roger Schmidt made three changes to his starting eleven compared with the side that lost 2-0 to Mainz 05 last week. Wendell returned to the back four after suspension with Charles Aránguiz and Admir Mehmedi also in the side. Aleksandar Dragovic, Karim Bellarabi and Chicharito dropped to the bench.
Unlucky start for the Werkself
The match in front of 79,100 spectators at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park saw both sides make a bright start with great commitment in challenges. It was the hosts who made the more efficient start to the game: Aránguiz blocked a shot from BVB forward Ousmane Dembelé only for the ball to drop to the feet of the Dortmund player – the Frenchman did not hesitate and hit a low shot into the far corner leaving Bernd Leno with no chance in the Werkself goal. Bayer 04 were 1-0 down after just six minutes
The Werkself then showed what they could do: Kevin Volland twice shot from distance but his efforts on 13 and 14 minutes were kept out. Just before that, Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a chance to double the lead but Leno was able to save his shot from close range
Leno keeps Werkself in touch
Dortmund's attacking game improved as the game went on. Driven on by the lightning quick Dembelé, Aubameyang and Marco Reus, the Black and Yellows pressed forward in search of a second goal. On 25 minutes the Bayer 04 shot-stopper Leno was able to frustrate Dortmund's Dembelé by narrowing the angle and pulling off a brilliant save at the cost of the corner. The corner from Reus was headed against Tin Jedvaj by BVB defender Marc Batra and the ball rebounded to Aubameyang. The hosts’ top scorer reacted in a flash and forced the ball into the back of the net from close range to make it 2-0 on 26 minutes.
As the game progressed the Werkself were lucky not to go further behind: A ball from Dembelé found Aubameyang but he missed his chance to make it 3-0 on 31 minutes and Leno was again called into action to produce a brilliant reflex save to keep out Reus at the end of a Dortmund counter-attack. BVB went into the half-time break with a 2-0 lead
Volland and Wendell provide hope
Shortly after the restart, Wendell picked out Volland with a great ball and he was able to beat Dortmund defender Sokratis in the box before firing home a powerful shot to make it 2-1 on 48 minutes. Schmidt's men came into the game, were more ambitious and determined to level the scores. That opened up space for Dortmund. With 58 minutes on the clock Dembelé had another chance to score from a counter-attack but his effort went over the bar. Aubameyang then succeeded in scoring the third goal for the hosts with his 20th goal of the season from a header on 69 minutes.
The Werkself fought back. Five minutes later Wendell curled a free kick from 25 yards out into the top corner to put the Black and Reds back in touch at 3-2. The comeback did not last long as Dortmund's Christian Pulisic restored the two-goal lead four minutes later.
Two more goals conceded in closing stages
The goal had an effect on the Werkself who had produced a spirited performance up to that point but constantly failed to breach the BVB defence. In contrast, Thomas Tuchel's team played with freedim and sought to add to their score. Substitute André Schürrle, who was brought down in the box by Wendell, increased the lead to 5-2 with a penalty on 85 minutes. Raphael Guerreiro made it 6-2 for Dortmund in added time
The 6-2 reverse is the eleventh defeat of the season for the Werkself. Bayer 04 are back in action on Friday night with a Bundesliga home game against SV Werder Bremen (20.30 CET).
Match stats
Borussia Dortmund: Bürki – Piszczek, Sokrates, Bartra – Durm, Castro, Weigl, Guerreiro – Dembélé (Kagawa 73’), Reus ( Pulisic 44’) – Aubameyang (Schürrle 81’)
Bayer 04: Leno – Henrichs, Jedvaj, Toprak (Toprak 86’), Wendell – L. Bender, Aránguiz (Bellarabi 38’) – Mehmedi (Chicharito 66’), Kampl – Havertz, Volland
Goals: 1-0 Dembélé (6’), 2-0 Aubameyang (26’), 2-1 Volland (48’), 2-1 Volland (48’), 3-1 Aubameyang (69’), 3-2 Wendell (74’), 4-2 Pulisic (77’), 5-2 Schürrle (85’ pen.), 6-2 Guerreiro (90+2’)
Booked: - / Aránguiz (4th yellow card), Havertz (2nd), Bellarabi (3rd), Volland (1st), L. Bender (4th), Wendell (6th)
Referee: Christian Dingert (Lebecksmühle)
Attendance: 79,100
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