5-1 – BVB produce supreme display against Wolfsburg

Report by Dennis-Julian Gottschlich 

The Black and Yellows dominated the encounter from the beginning in front of a sold-out crowd of 81,359 at the Signal Iduna Park. They took the lead through an early brace from Kagawa (7.) and then Ramos (9.) and did not let up after that, with Reus (59.) and Aubameyang (77/78.) both getting their name on the score-sheet as the Westphalians strolled to victory. Schürrle was able to slightly reduce the deficit at the end in the 86^th minute.

Click here for the match videos on BVBtotal!

The get-go:

Second against tenth - with 74 points, BVB have managed to accumulate nearly double as many points as last year’s runners-up VfL Wolfsburg (39). In the last 10 Bundesliga matches between the two teams there have been 40 goals (four on average) and always at least 3 per match.

Personnel:

Aubameyang and Gündogan were fit again yet had to be content for a place on the bench. Subotic (thrombosis in his arm), Park (tibia strain), Ginter and Leitner (heart rate strain) were missing for BVB, who made four changes from their outing against Stuttgart last week (Schmelzer, Bender, Hummels, Castro). The same eleven played today that started the Cup semi-final in Berlin. Ascues (fiber tear), Jung (cruciate ligament), Draxler (muscular tear) and Bruno Henrique (shin-bone oedema) were not available for VfL.

Tactics:

Borussia attacked the “Wolves” from a 3-2-4-1 formation – Mkhitaryan and Schmelzer pressed from the flanks and Kagawa and Reus played in just behind striker Ramos. The Black and Yellows lined up in a 4-3-3 as a defensive unit – Schmelzer moved to left back in the back four, with Ramos (on the right), Kagawa (central) and Reus (on the left) forming the first line of defence. Wolfsburg played in a 4-2-3-1 system and defended in a 5-2-3 formation.

Match analysis:

Borussia Dortmund seized the initiative from the very first minute, hardly gave Wolfsburg room to breathe and were already 2-0 up after nine minutes. First, Castro played it out to Schmelzer on the left, who crossed it into the box for Mkhitaryan to attempt a volley. Despite his miscue, the ball raced through the box onto the foot of Kagawa, who placed the ball with the inside of his foot from ten metres out into the net to make it 1-0 (7.). Just two minutes later, the Japanese put in on a plate for Ramos with a fine pass, and the Colombian duly finished from 12 metres out to make it 2-0, which set BVB well on their way to victory.

Reus curls it into the far corner

Reus could have made it 3-0 just one minute later but narrowly missed the goal with his effort after a long ball from Hummels (10.). Even after that the Black and Yellows were the dominant team, although they had to deal with a rare moment of danger in the 19^th minute as Caligiuri feinted past a BVB player in the penalty area and slammed the ball against the crossbar from close range. This was not to deter the home side though, although it did serve to break up the match tempo. Things started to hot up at the Wolfsburg end after that, with Reus avoiding the onrushing Benaglio but only managing to hit the side-netting of the Wolfsburg goal (31.). At the other end Bürki brilliantly parried a long-range effort from Arnold (34.), and from the resulting corner, Schürrle shot just to the right of the goal from 11 metres out. 

Borussia took it easy at the beginning of the second half as well, controlling the game and waiting patiently – until the 59^th minute. Suddenly Schmelzer found himself in acres of space on the left, advanced into the penalty area and set it up for Mkhitaryan, whose shot was blocked by Naldo for a corner. Kagawa took control and played it back into the danger area. Benaglio brilliantly saved Bender’s effort and then Kagawa’s rebound, but the ball was still alive, with Ramos hauling it back from the byline to set up Reus from 12 metres out. He curled the ball expertly into the far corner (59.)

Aubameyang bags a brace

By now the Wolfsburg defence was almost completely broken. Castro could have made it 4-0 but was thwarted by quick reactions from Benaglio (68.). Knoche came to Wolfsburg’s rescue at the last moment against Mkhitaryan (70.) and Benaglio parried Aubameyang’s effort once more (71.), who only a little later chased a kick from the edge of the penalty area and was millimeters from the left post. 4-0 was in the air and seconds later, Aubameyang finally obliged. Mkhitaryan was let loose brilliantly on the left wing and produced a perfect cross to the back post for the Gabonese to head in from close range (77.).

There was an almost identical set-up a minute later – this time, Schmelzer was free on the left, crossed it in where Aubameyang was once more able to make it a well-deserved 5-0. Schürrle slightly reduced the deficit with a consolation in the 86^th minute, before Mkhitaryan was once more denied by Benaglio (89.), as well as Caligiuri by Bürki (90.) at the other end.

Click here for all the match videos on BVBtotal!

A look ahead:

Three more matches remain – BVB are away to Eintracht Frankfurt next Saturday (15:30 CET), a week later (14.05., also at 15:30 CET) FC Kӧln make the trip to Dortmund for the final round of Bundesliga matches and then on the 21^st May (20:30 CET) BVB take on FC Bayern Munich in the DFB Cup Final in Berlin.

Teams & Goals