6-1: BVB stroll to victory over Stuttgart- - Lewandowski hits a hat-trick
Breathtakingly quick and simply sensational! Borussia Dortmund just gave visitors VfB Stuttgart no chance at all as they chalked up victory on the 11th Matchday of the Bundesliga season handing them a 6-1 hiding. It was a deserved win and duly gave the victors first place in the table, at least for one night. This sixth home win in a row also equalled a club record set in 2003-04.
Dennis-Julian Gottschlich reporting
The sell-out 80645 crowd gathered in the SIGNAL IDUNA PARK were treated to an entertaining evening which began with Haggui giving the visitors the lead after just 13 minutes. By half-time though, goals from Sokratis and Reus (19 and 22 mins respectively) had turned a pacy and open game on its head. The second half saw BVB enjoy total domination which allowed Lewandowski to chalk up a hat-trick with goals on 55, 56 and 72 minutes before Aubamayeng rounded off the scoring after 81 minutes to make it 6-1.
The Scenario:
Whilst only six places separated the teams, the points gap was 12 points. VfB nonetheless came into the game on a seven game unbeaten run and had managed a draw on each of their previous four visits to the SIGNAL IDUNA PARK (0-0, 4-4, 1-1, 1-1). The last time BVB had lost a Friday night game at home was in January 2004 registering twelve wins and six draws. BVB had also not been betaen by VfB in their last six meetings.
Personnel Matters:
Jürgen Klopp had to manage without both Piszczek and Gündogan, Kehl too. The team showed two changes from the side that had triumphed in last week´s derby with Sokratis replacing Subotic in central defence and Kuba coming in for Aubameyang on the right side of midfield. Cacau, Didavi and Rojas (all injured on not yet match fit) were unavailable for VfB while Rüdiger was suspended for this game having seen red last week.
Tactics:
Both teams lined up in familiar 4-2-3-1 formations with the VfB midfielder Maxim making a good impression from the start in supporting the lone striker causing some consternation in and around the BVB box.
The Game and Analysis:
BVB started the game quite well actually, pressing the ball high up the field and causing the new Stuttgart defence problems from the very start. First a shrewd Reus pass behind the defence just failed to find a yellow shirt, then Kuba tried a spectacular effort from close to the byline that forced Ulreich in the VfB goal to make a fine save.
Soon, however, Borussia conceded a soft goal from a corner when Haggui stooped to head a Maxim corner into the ground and up over Sahin on the line into the net. Weidenfeller, who had done well to save a Maxim shot which led to the corner had no chance and so had to pick the ball out of the net in his 300th BL game. Jürgen Klopp had been keen to point out before the game just how dangerous VfB were from dead ball situations but, it seemed to no avail. VfB coach Schneider duly celebrated the 8th goal from a dead ball in eight games in charge.
The home side did not allow this setback to disturb their rhythm, and were soon pushing for the equaliser. They didn´t have too long to wait because, on 19 minutes a corner strikingly similar to Maxim´s for VfB, was taken by Sahin and Sokratis stooped to head the ball high into the VfB net. It was the Greek´s first goal for BVB and only his second in the Bundesliga.
The second goal was not long in coming either as BVB began to exert real authority all over the park. Reus won possession midway inside the Stuttgart half and began a strong run towards goal. Opting not to play a one-two with Lewandowski he drifted left before steering a left foot shot across goal and into the far corner of Ulreich´s net. The SIGNAL IDUNA PARK went berserk at their heroes having turned the game around in three short minutes.
But Stuttgart refused to lie down at this point and shortly before the break Werner popped up in the BVB box and was duly brought down by a somewhat clumsy tackle by Großkreutz. Oddly, referee Meyer didn´t point to the spot, nor show Werner the yellow card for diving, but opted to re-start the game with a drop ball!
It did not take the Black ´n´ Yellows very long to take matters firmly into their own hands in the second half. Kuba was allowed time down the right to cross and when Haggui´s header failed to clear the lines, the ball found its way to the feet of Reus who, despite being surrounded by defenders, contrived to back heel the ball onto Lewandowski who thrashed the ball home from close range. 3-1 (after 55 minutes) soon became 4-1! An inch perfect Mkhitaryan through ball threaded the VfB defence and arrived into the stride of Lewandowski charging into the Stuttgart area. The Pole did not hesitate and slipped the ball past the onrushing Ulreich to register his second goal in two minutes!
Anyone who thought that BVB might throttle back a bit were soon put straight because it quickly became clear that 4-1 wasn´t going to be enough as wave upon wave of BVB attacks rained down on the VfB goal. On 66 minutes Ulreich denied Lewandowski and two minutes later it was Mkhitaryan who just hit over when it might have been easier to score.
Not long later, though, the Pole duly completed his hat-trick when he was first to react to Kuba´s shot rebounding from the frame of the goal and shovelled the ball home to make it 5-1 on 72 minutes. By the final whistle, the VfB defence was in tatters and so it came as no surprise that with nine minutes left, substitute Aubameyang struck a sixth for the home side benefitting from a fine assist from Lewandowski. The stadium partied wildly.
Prospects:
This Wednesday (kick off 2045CET) Arsenal are the visitors on the fourth Matchday of the UEFA Champions League. Then on Saturday BVB travel to VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundeslia (kick off 1530CET).