Matchreport
2-1 - Hofmann fires BVB to the top
[18.08.2013] Borussia Dortmund are the top of the Bundesliga for the 138th time in history! In the final game of Matchday 2, BVB moved to the top of the league with a 2-1 (0-0) win over Eintracht Braunschweig to open the season with two wins for the first time in 12 years. But it was a hard-fought victory against a dogged side. It took BVB 75 minutes to break the deadlock through Hofmann, with Reus doubling the advantage from the spot
Boris Rupert reporting
73,000 BVB fans and 7,000 Braunschweig supporters created a great atmosphere from the start at a near capacity Signal Iduna Park (a few empty seats in the visitors´ stand). And they witnessed a competitive and hard-fought match in which the Bundesliga new boys gave the Champions League finalists a run for their money. It took BVB 60 minutes before they started to create chance after chance, with Jonas Hofmann breaking the deadlock to give the hosts a well-deserved lead. The second-half substitute also won a penalty which was dispatched by Marco Reuse four minutes from time to make it 2-0. Braunschweig managed to pull one back in the 89th minute courtesy of an unlucky own goal by Robert Lewandowski.
The Scenario:
Eintracht were one of six current Bundesliga teams against which BVB had a negative head-to-head record. Since Braunschweig´s relegation from the Bundesliga in 1985, the two sides had met in three DFB Cup ties, with Braunschweig winning the last two
Personnel Matters:
The BVB line-up saw four changes and two debuts. After a four and a half injury lay-off, Henrikh Mkhitaryan was not only called up to the BVB squad for the first time, he was also given a starting role in the central attacking midfield position in place of the injured Ilkay Gündogan (spinal compression). Fellow new arrival Sokratis also made his competitive debut for Borussia, replacing centre back Neven Subotic who was "rotated" to the bench. After serving his suspension, Roman Weidenfeller returned to goal in place of Mitch Langerak, while Jakub Blaszczykowski got the nod ahead of Marco Reus. Braunschweig were without Kumbela (match fitness), Dogan (bruised tailbone) and Henn (deep cut to his knee).
Tactics:
The hard-working and disciplined visitors lined up with a 4-3-2-1 system with three lines of defence, with Hochscheidt, Jackson and Kruppke forming the first one pressing high up the pitch, and a second wall, consisting of three defensive midfielders, just behind them. To get near the Braunschweig goal, BVB also had to get past the back four, the third line of defence, and accordingly, space was tight and patience needed from BVB who started with their usual 4-2-3-1 formation in which Sahin pulled the strings from the start.
The Game & Analysis:
Borussia and their fans got an early taste of what to come after 90 seconds when Reichel managed to get past Grosskreutz on the left wing and crossed a low ball into the six yard box where Kruppke failed to hit it cleanly. BVB needed 14 minutes to find a gap in the Braunschweig defence when Aubameyang was put through with a long ball, but goalkeeper Davari was quickly off his line to get the ball ahead of last week´s hat-trick scorer.
Against a well-organised Braunschweig side, BVB struggled to get their passing game going. Aubameyang and Blaszczykowski both failed to make the most of their pace on the wings, and Lewandowski had to drop deep to get involved in the game. Borussia´s first real chance of the game came in the 37th minute when a Sahin freekick from 25 yards dropped onto the top netting. At the other end, Sokratis produced a last-ditch block to deny Hochscheidt, with Theuerkauf flashing the rebound just wide of the post (37 mins.).
Borussia took their time to emerge from the dressing room - and attacked the second half towards the South Stand. They had enjoyed 64 percent possession in the first half, but only managed to create one scoring opportunity. That was to change after the break. Bender came (very) close with a shot from 20 yards, while Sahin (from 15 yards) and Lewandowski (from 13 yards) were also just off target from promising positions. Struggling to get out of their own half after the interval, Braunschweig had their 7,000 noisy fans behind them, but also the South Stand with BVB´s 25,000 singing supporters.
Borussia´s passing game looked much better now. In the 58th minute Grosskreutz came close after good work from Hummels, then Aubameyang was denied by a reflex save by Davari. On the hour mark, Reus came on for Blaszczykowski, and Aubameyang moved to the right wing. Those two were also the protagonists of BVB´s next chance, when, following a Braunschweig corner, Aubameyang sent Reus through to fire home, but the goal was correctly disallowed for offside (66 mins.). Shortly after, Aubameyang had a chance himself but blasted wide from the corner of the six yard box. It was his last kick of the game as he was substituted almost immediately after, with Hofmann replacing him.
The Braunschweig goal was now under constant siege, with goalkeeper Davari having to make a couple of fine saves. He twice denied Mkhitaryan from short range (68/69 mins.), and also thwarted Lewandowski (69 mins.).
At 7.03 pm local time he was finally beaten, and the deadlock broken! Hummels intercepted an attack near the halfway line and fed the ball to Hofmann on the right who squared it back again for the on-rushing Hummels, with the Dortmund defender carving open the Brauschweig defence with a sublime pass, again picked up by Hofmann whose shot bounced off the left post and into the net.
Reus and above all Lewandowski had chances to add a second, but it was up to Hofmann to take matters in his hand again when he won the ball in midfield before racing into the Braunschweig box where he was brought down by Bicakcic. Reus stepped up and slotted home the resulting penalty to make it 2-0 (86 mins.).
There was some late drama when Lewandowski unluckily deflected a corner into his own net, but it was too little, too late for the Bundesliga new boys and BVB held on for the win.
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Prospects:
BVB have another home game coming up, with Werder Bremen coming to Signal Iduna Park on Friday (kick-off: 2030 CET).