Match Report
Brandt and Beier fire BVB to 2-0 win over Gladbach
In front of 81,365 spectators at a sold-out SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, BVB started the match full of focus and took an early lead through Julian Brandt's goal in the 10th minute. However, Gladbach made their mark in the closing stages of an interesting first half. In an equally intense second half, BVB came close to making it 2-0 on several occasions, before finally doing so through Maxi Beier in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
The scenario:
Third against 11th. BVB had lost only one league game this season and had seven points more than at the same stage last year. Gladbach – despite last weekend's 3-1 defeat to Wolfsburg – had picked up an impressive 13 points from their previous six games after gaining only three points from their first eight games.
Personnel matters:
There were five changes to the starting line-up compared to last weekend's game in Freiburg: Julian Brandt returned to the squad and also to the starting XI. Pascal Gross, Daniel Svensson, Niklas Süle and Karim Adeyemi replaced Ramy Bensebaini (who has gone to the Africa Cup of Nations), Jobe Bellingham (suspended), Carney Chukwuemeka, Fabio Silva and Yan Couto (who all moved to the bench).
Tactics:
BVB entered the match with a changed line-up – particularly in the back three, where Anselmino, Anton and Bensebaini had to be replaced – but with virtually the same basic formation as before. Niklas Süle, Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck formed the three-man defence, with Julian Ryerson, Felix Nmecha, Pascal Gross (who pushed forward when in possession) and Svensson playing in front of them. In this 3-4-2-1 formation, Julian Brandt, Serhou Guirassy and Karim Adeyemi were called on to provide the attacking impetus. Guirassy was man-marked by Elvedi, while Sander kept a close eye on Brandt. Nmecha was the distributor in midfield. Gladbach, for their part, lined up in a 3-3-3-1 formation.
The match & analysis:
In a match that was fiercely contested by both sides from the outset, Borussia took the lead with their first shot on goal: Schlotterbeck shifted the play with a diagonal ball to Gross on the right, who squared to Süle at the edge of the box. His delivery was aimed for the left post, where Brandt was waiting to pounce. Brandt tried his luck with a volley and fired the ball into the right corner of the net. The Black & Yellows kept the ball moving as they searched for gaps in Gladbach's defence. In the 25th minute, Elvedi cleared the ball in front of Guirassy – Ryerson's cross was bound for the head of the BVB striker.
From the 20th minute onwards, Gladbach became more present in a match that had initially been dominated by the Black & Yellows (who had 73% possession up to that point). And in which the visitors' keeper Nicolas prevented Adeyemi from quickly making it 2-0. Via Schlotterbeck, Svensson and Guirassy, the ball was played down the left wing into the penalty area to the feet of Adeyemi, who got off a quick shot from seven metres out which Nicolas did well to palm to safety. BVB were managing to win the ball high up the pitch and move it confidently across the park. But Gladbach stood firm, allowing few shots on goal and seeing their first dangerous chance in the 37th minute through Neuhaus. Süle stood strong in defence to block his effort. Gladbach were on top for the final ten minutes of the first half, and came close to equalising through Reitz (40). Kobel made the initial save, then Reyna's shot in the subsequent sequence of play looked goal-bound at first but drifted wide of the mark.
Into the dressing room in the lead
Can was on the receiving end of heavy challenges at the start of both the first and second half. After going down following a collision with Neuhaus, who was attempting to get a shot on goal, the captain was eventually able to continue after receiving treatment (50), albeit with a bloodstain on his socks. Gladbach pushed forward and the game remained intensely competitive. Guirassy got the ball in the back of the net in the 55th minute, but it was disallowed for offside. After a cross from Adeyemi and a header from Brandt, Dortmund's number nine was a step ahead of the final defender. Shortly afterwards, Adeyemi dispossessed Diks and drove towards goal before firing an effort on target. Nikolas stretched out and tipped the ball over the bar with his fingertips.
Guirassy tried his luck from distance (67), while Kovac brought on three substitutes: first Beier (60), then Chukwuemeka and Sabitzer (70). With 20 minutes to go, Beier was brought down by Elvedi in the box, but no penalty was given. At the other end, Kobel prevented Moya, who had come on seconds earlier, from equalising when he parried his shot from the left side of the box out for a corner (80).
An open game, which continued to be played at a high intensity by both sides, entered its final stages. In the 89th minute, Beier ran towards goal unchallenged after a mistake by Gladbach, but was denied by goalkeeper Nicolas. There was no let-up in the six minutes of added time. Gladbach pushed for the equaliser. But the Black & Yellows had the last word. Süle started the move, Fabio Silva provided the final pass and Beier scored from 16 metres to make it 2-0 (90+7).
Outlook:
A short winter break begins this weekend. BVB will be back in action on 9 January in Frankfurt. They will then go straight into a busy week with home games against Bremen (13 January) and St. Pauli (17 January).
Boris Rupert
Teams & goals
Bundesliga, Matchday 15
Friday, 19 December 2025, 20:30 CET
BORUSSIA DORTMUND 2–0 (1-0) BOR. MÖNCHENGLADBACH
Bor. Dortmund: Kobel – Süle, Can, Schlotterbeck – Ryerson (82, Couto), Gross (71, Sabitzer), Nmecha, Svensson – Adeyemi (60, Beier), Brandt (71, Chukwuemeka) – Guirassy (82, Fabio Silva)
Bor. M‘gladbach: Nicolas – Sander (80, Machino), Elvedi, Diks – Scally, Reitz, Engelhardt (80, Mohya), Netz – Reyna (65, Ranos), Neuhaus (80, Stöger) – Tabakovic
Substitutes: Meyer, Mane, Özcan, Campbell – Omlin, Ullrich, Fleck, Fraulo, Herrmann
Goals: 1:0 Brandt (10., Süle), 2:0 Beier (90.+7, Fabio Silva)
Corners: 6-4 (3-2 at half-time), chance ratio: 6-3 (2-2)
Referee: Jablonski (Bremen), bookings: Can, Schlotterbeck
Attendance: 81,365 (sold-out), weather: dry, 09 degrees