Werder Bremen are in possession and are looking to wind down the clock and secure all three points. Sokratis is forced to give away a foul after Gondorf heads directly to the corner flag. The free-kick is taken short before Dortmund puts the ball out for a corner, which will also surely be taken with a pass.
The referee blows his whistle for the final time tonight and 17th place Werder Bremen leaves Dortmund with all 3 points! Peter Bosz looks absolutely resigned as his side fail to win for the 8th time in a row in Bundesliga matches.
90' +1
KAGAWA DRAGS IT WIDE! The cross comes in from the left and falls to Pulisic but his volley is closed down. The blocked ball then comes perfectly to Kagawa at the top of the penalty area but Kagawa sends it wide-right of Pavlenka’s post and fails to trouble the goalkeeper.
90'
The referee has indicated that there will be an additional four minutes of play for injuries.
89'
Nuri Sahin puts in a cross but the defence stands strong and immediately heads away the danger which led to a counter-attack for Werder Bremen. Luckily for Burki, the move ends as Kruse fires his shot from inside the Dortmund penalty area high and wide. When attacking, Borussia Dortmund are not leaving a single man in their half of the pitch, which makes them exceptionally susceptible to a rapid counter.
86'
Peter Bosz is visibly unhappy with his side’s performance as he stands to observe the match from the sidelines. Immediately upon the restart, it looked as though Dortmund would have too much attacking power for Bremen, but Bremen’s second goal has really affected the home side negatively. The same can be said for the fans, who now appear to be leaving the Signal-Iduna-Park in droves.
84'
R. Bauer enters the game and replaces F. Kainz.
In response, Florian Kohfeldt makes Werder Bremen’s third substitution of the match. Florian Kainz, who entered the game as a substitute for the injured Bartels makes way for Robert Bauer.
82'
A. Isak enters the game and replaces Mahmoud Dahoud.
Peter Bosz’s last substitution is an attacking one as young Swedish striker Alexander Isak is brought on to replace Dahoud.
81'
At the other end of the pitch, Gebre Selassie wins a free-kick for Werder Bremen midway between the halfway line and the Dortmund penalty area. The set-piece is passed to the left in order to retain possession but then crossed in from the left flank. A poor set-piece routine as Burki is left unchallenged to collect.
78'
Borussia Dortmund win a free-kick just outside the penalty area after Pulisic was taken down with a slide tackle by Eggestein. The free-kick is taken quickly by Kagawa but there is nobody to meet the cross and the danger is dealt with well by the away side.
75'
Borussia Dortmund are pressing even higher up the field in attempts to win the ball in Bremen’s half of the pitch, but that will leave large gaps in an already shaky Dortmund defence. Bremen have already shown that they are capable of taking their opportunities and this increased focus on attack could put Dortmund further behind.
Minute
Description
72'
HOW DID KAGAWA MISS THAT CHANCE!? A cross comes into the box from the left and Pulisic heads it at the back-post across for Aubameyang who slips in the process. Kagawa is behind him and tees up a volley but the close-range shot deflects off the back of Aubameyang who is still on the ground and the ball ricochets over the crossbar. Unbelievably unlucky for the home side!
70'
The referee awards Dortmund a free-kick after a horrible sliding challenge by Eggestein in midfield leaves Bartra on the ground. Once again however, the match official fails to pull out a card.
68'
For the second time tonight, Borussia Dortmund find themselves behind. They showed great determination at the beginning of the second half to get themselves back into the game – sparked by the introduction of Andre Schurrle. Bosz will need a similar response this time around but with only a half hour left to play, time is running out!
65'
T. Gebre Selassie has scored a goal for Werder Bremen! Assist by M. Kruse.
The corner-kick was taken by Max Kruse who receives the assist.
AND FROM THE CORNER ITS 2-1 FOR WERDER BREMEN! Gebre Selassie manages to get away from Neven Subotic who lets his man move about the box freely and the Czech full-back gets a head to the ball and weakly puts it past Burki and into the net!
64'
Bargfrede crosses the ball from the right and it falls inside the box to an unmarked Max Kruse whose effort is palmed away by a sprawling Burki and put out for a corner!
63'
ALMOST 2-1! Bremen have four attacking players flying towards the goal but Gondorf, instead of attempting to square the ball to a teammate for an empty net goal, tries to chip the ball over a sliding Burki but his attempt is off-target and misses the net. It really should have been 2-1.
60'
Several Werder Bremen players surround the referee as they are not happy with a Sokratis challenge in midfield, though the referee does not brandish a card. The referee does give a free-kick which is easily defended by Borussia Dortmund who retain possession.
57'
P. Aubameyang has scored a goal for Borussia Dortmund! Assist by S. Kagawa.
Kagawa's header across to Aubameyang was the key pass, and therefore the Japanese play-maker will be credited with the assist.
DORTMUND LEVEL THE SCORING! It was not pretty, but it will count! Schmelzer crosses the ball to the far-post where Kagawa meets it with his head to knock it across for the waiting Aubameyang who gets just enough of a touch to it to knock it past a confused Pavlenka. The goalkeeper had a number of bodies in front of him and could not break through to make the save. Aubameyang’s return to the Bundesliga line-up is marked with a goal! 1-1!
56'
Both of Werder Bremen’s support strikers have been forced off within an hour as both Bartels and Zunuzovic have picked up knocks that made it impossible for them to continue. It will be interesting to see how the away attack compensates for the loss of two of their most important forward forces, but perhaps it will force Kohfeldt to proceed with a lot more caution.
53'
J. Gondorf enters the game and replaces Z. Junuzović.
Werder Bremen are forced into their second substitution of the day, as Zunuzovic will be unable to continue due to injury. Gondorf will come on to replace him.
52'
Schurrle again is at the centre of everything Dortmund create offensively. The ball falls to the German attacker just in front of the penalty area after a Bartra cross is headed straight up in the air. Schurrle volleyed it first-time but Pavlenka was equal to it and managed to read it well and make a confident save. Still 1-0 Bremen.
49'
SO CLOSE FOR DORTMUND! Schurrle curls in a ball from the left of the penalty area but it was unclear whether it was a cross or a shot. Either way, Pavlenka gets a fingertip to it while falling backward to keep it out of his net, but the ball falls for Pulisic who twists and turns before his feet give out and the ball rolls harmlessly for a goal-kick.
47'
Shinji Kagawa forces a fantastic high save out of Pavlenka who tips it over for a corner-kick. The ensuing set-piece is met highest in the air by Marc Bartra but his header is directed at Pavlenka who makes an easy save. A great first chance of the half and Peter Bosz will be hoping that they can maintain this attacking play.
46'
A. Schürrle enters the game and replaces A. Yarmolenko.
N. Şahin enters the game and replaces Raphaël Guerreiro.
Andre Schurrle is brought on instead of Andriy Yarmolenko to start the second half.
Borussia Dortmund kick-off the second half!
Nuri Sahin takes the place of Guerreiro in this second half in order to solidify the midfield which was a main area of concern in the first period of play.
45'
Aubameyang sends in a cross from the right flank but the danger is headed away and then volleyed back to Roman Burki in the Dortmund goal.
43'
Despite a promising attacking start, Aubameyang and the Dortmund attack have been poor. There have been no real chances of note with a wide effort by Yarmolenko being the most exciting effort the home side have put forth. Bosz will have to make changes in the second half or risk yet another embarrassing defeat.
40'
Yarmolenko tries to bend in a shot from the outside of the penalty area but his curler goes well wide of the goalkeeper’s left-hand post.
38'
The long-ball played from the Dortmund midfield holds up just enough for Aubameyang to get onto the end of it before rolling out for a goal-kick, but the striker’s first touch is poor and allows the defence to intervene. Frustrated, Aubameyang used too much force to win the ball back and the referee blows for a free-kick.
36'
There is so much space in the Borussia Dortmund midfield. Whenever Werder Bremen move forward to attack, there is always a man open and ready to receive a pass. The midfield trio must do a better job closing down and limiting the options that the Bremen playmakers have. Or else it could get worse for the home side before it gets better.
33'
F. Kainz enters the game and replaces F. Bartels.
Kagawa loses the ball in midfield which leads to another Bremen counter-attack. Kruse bears down on goal and takes a shot from a tight angle but the shot is too powerful and flies over the crossbar and out for a goal-kick.
An early substitution is forced upon Werder Bremen as Fin Bartels is injured and cannot continue. He is replaced by Florian Kainz.
31'
It’s an all too familiar situation for Dortmund who once again find themselves behind in a match at home. Peter Bosz’s side have been in horrible form recently and that looks to be continuing today as a resurgent Werder Bremen look a very difficult proposition.
29'
Penalty shouts are waved away after the referee sees no illegal play between Aubameyang and Bargfrede in the Bremen penalty area. To be fair there is not enough contact to send the striker to ground and the official's decision appears to be the right one.
26'
M. Eggestein has scored a goal for Werder Bremen! Assist by M. Kruse.
Max Kruse will be given the assist as his switch to Eggestein made the shot possible.
WHAT A FANTASTIC GOAL FROM MAX EGGESTEIN! Kruse receives the ball outside the Dortmund penalty area and switches it to the right-hand side for Eggestein who jinks past Guerreiro and bends the ball past Burki with his left foot! 1-0 Bremen!
24'
Dortmund lose possession in the midfield after some ponderous build-up and once again Bremen pounce, looking to turn defence into attack. It has been a great away performance so far by a side who are not playing like they're in the relegation zone.
21'
JUNUZOVIC AGAIN! The ball is crossed into the box for Bartels who knocks it down for the onrushing Junuzovic who volleys the ball just over the bar! Great contact there from the captain and another chance goes begging for the away side.
18'
Yarmolenko’s in-swinging corner is too close to the goalkeeper and the Bremen defence holds firm and clears the danger, although the ball remains with Dortmund in midfield.
16'
Borussia reset with a ball back to Burki before moving forward with purpose but Guerreiro’s cross forward is blocked and the attack breaks down as Pavlenka takes possession of the ball.
13'
A great chance for Bremen! Fin Bartels gets into an attacking position where he lays it off to Zunuzovic before passing it to Kruse for a strike – but the shot is a weak one and Burki collects with minimal trouble.
11'
A long ball seemed to give Subotic some trouble in the Borussia defence but the defender managed to clear it away for a throw-in right beside the corner flag. It seems Dortmund’s defensive issues have once again surfaced early in this match.
9'
Junuzovic takes a great strike from just outside the penalty area but the ball sails just over the crossbar and does not trouble the goalkeeper who was left flat-footed.
6'
Christian Pulisic shows his rapid pace and gets free on the left-hand side before cutting inside and putting in a low cross for Aubameyang which is promptly blocked by Bargfrede. The resulting corner is cleared well by Bremen and dispels the early pressure.
3'
Good attacking play early from both sides, with either team possessing the ball in the opponent’s penalty area within the first three minutes. Dortmund are currently settling things down a little bit and controlling possession comfortably.
1'
Werder Bremen get the match underway!
This is the 100th meeting all time between these two sides in the Bundesliga, and the statistics are shockingly close. Borussia Dortmund edge the overall standings having won this fixture fourty-three times, in comparison to Bremen’s 40. Both teams have scored exactly 160 goals against each other but unfortunately for the visitors, their tally away from home is significantly lower. It has been a historically level contest and that, coupled with each team’s respective form of late should make this match thoroughly entertaining.
With fifteen minutes before kick-off, the team news has been announced! Let's begin with the home side.
Borussia Dortmund Starting XI (4-3-3): Roman Burki; Marcel Schmelzer, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Neven Subotic, Marc Bartra; Raphaël Guerreiro, Mahmoud Dahoud, Shinji Kagawa; Christian Pulisic, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Andriy Yarmolenko.
Good afternoon and welcome to our LIVE text commentary of Borussia Dortmund v Werder Bremen from the Signal-Iduna-Park in Dortmund!
Borussia Dortmund substitutes: Roman Weidenfeller, Dan-Axel Zagadou, Nuri Sahin, Alexander Isak, André Schurrle, Julian Weigl, Omer Toprak.
Werder Bremen substitutes: Robert Bauer, Florian Kainz, Jerome Gondorf, Izet Hajrovic, Lamine Sane, Ishak Belfodil, Jaroslav Drobny.
Werder Bremen Starting XI (4-3-2-1): Jiri Pavlenka; Ludwig Augustinsson, Niklas Moisander, Milos Veljkovic, Theodor Gebre Selassie; Thomas Delaney, Philipp Bargfrede, Maximilian Eggestein; Zlatko Junuzovic, Fin Bartels, Max Kruse.
Peter Bosz makes a formation alteration, as well as four personnel changes from the side that drew 1-1 in Leverkusen against Bayer where they played a three centre-back system. Today Borussia opts for the standard four at the back. Marc Bartra replaces Gonzalo Castro and will be deployed as a right-back. Julian Weigl and Nuri Sahin start today’s game on the bench with the manager preferring a midfield trio featuring Mahmoud Dahoud and Shinji Kagawa alongside Raphael Guerreiro. Yarmolenko and Pulisic keep their roles as set-up men in behind the striker but unlike at Leverkusen where Max Philipp was awarded the start, the starting striker today will be the prolific Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Florian Kohfeldt attempts to provide some stability as he chooses to deploy the same tactical set-up and the same starting eleven as in Bremen’s previous match against Stuttgart which earned them a 1-0 victory. Pavlenka starts in goal and will be protected by a back-four of Augustinsson, Moisander, Veljkovic and Gebre Selassie. In front of the defence sits a midfield trio of Delaney, Bargfrede and Eggestein who will attempt to support an attacking trident of captain Zlatko Junuzovic, Fin Bartels and striker Max Kruse who will be celebrating his 200th Bundesliga appearance in today’s match.
The players are stepping onto the field and kick-off should follow shortly!
HALF-TIME: Borussia Dortmund 0 – 1 Werder Bremen
For Werder Bremen, Florian Kohfeldt should be very happy with the endeavour his side has shown. They have been eager to close down and win back possession in the midfield and defensive areas. They are showing the confidence necessary to shoot from all angles, which is how Max Eggestein’s goal came about. An early injury to Fin Bartels aside, it has been a textbook display of how to play away from home, but they will have to withstand an array of attacking substitutes from Dortmund’s bench if they wish to take all three points.
The Dortmund players walk off the pitch at half-time to the sounds of groans and whistles from the home support. It has been an extremely poor half both technically and tactically from the home side who have been unable to create any chances of note. Pavlenka in the Bremen goal has had little to do besides catch crosses and take goal-kicks. The Dortmund midfield is loose and unorganized which has allowed Bremen to rapidly counter-attack on a number of occasions. The match could easily be 3-0 had Kruse hit the target on his chances.
To say the hosts have endured a tough time of late would be a sizeable understatement. Peter Bosz has been under considerable pressure recently, and with no win in their last seven matches in the Bundesliga, it is understandable why. Borussia Dortmund began their season with six wins in seven matches, and have since accumulated three points out of a possible 21. That, coupled with a miserable performance in the Champions League which saw them finish with two points has left the Dortmund fans wondering what happened.
If der BVB are to get themselves back on track, today’s match against Werder Bremen would be the perfect time. Though the sacking of previous manager Alex Nouri and the internal promotion of Florian Kohfeldt has sparked some impressive results, the fact remains that Bremen sit second bottom in the German Bundesliga. Werder Bremen have not won an away match this year and have only scored 9 domestic goals in total. They may find it slightly easier to find the net today however, against a side averaging 2.8 goals conceded per match in their last five league games.
FULL-TIME: Borussia Dortmund 1 - 2 Werder Bremen.
It was yet another poor performance by a Borussia Dortmund side short of confidence, form and ideas. The first-half was a drab affair for the home side except for a pacey Pulisic run and a Yarmolenko curler that flew just wide. The second period of play started brightly with a double-substitution and a host of chances for Kagawa and Aubameyang before the latter bundled home an unimpressive goal to equalize. Proceedings got worse from there as Gebre was allowed to put the visitors back in the lead after Neven Subotic lost his man during a corner kick. Once again behind and with time running out, Dortmund were thoroughly unable to craft anything useful in attack except for a couple of Kagawa efforts which were either sent wide or deflected over the bar. Next up for Dortmund is another chance to get back in winning ways, as they travel to a Mainz side who sit just outside the relegation zone.
We hope you enjoyed our live text commentary of Borussia Dortmund v Werder Bremen and we look forward to seeing you next time!
Florian Kohfeldt should be very impressed with his side. Regardless of Dortmund’s form, Werder Bremen put in a great effort away from home. Despite being forced into two substitutions as a result of injuries to his two attacking set-up men, the visitors were able to lead on two separate occasions and limit Dortmund to a handful of chances throughout the match. Max Kruse looked confident going forward, shooting upon sight of goal and Phillip Bargfrede controlled the match well from his position in central midfield – where he exposed the gaps that were left by the home side time and time again. The win means that Bremen have won 4 of their last 5 and will put them in high spirits before their meeting with Bayer Leverkusen in four days’ time.
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