Borussia Dortmund were condemned to a 2-1 (1-0) defeat by Werder Bremen on Bundesliga Matchday 15. Having delivered an underwhelming first-half display, the Black & Yellows upped the ante after the interval and netted a deserved equaliser, only for the visitors to re-establish their lead – and seal the points – from a set-piece shortly afterwards.

Dennis-Julian Gottschlich reporting

The 81,160 fans at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK saw BVB struggle to get into the game in the opening period – and Bremen capitalised, taking a first-half lead through Eggestein (26). Borussia improved after the interval, netting what was a deserved equaliser through Aubameyang in the 57th minute, but the visitors re-established their lead through Gebre Selassie barely ten minutes later (65). Kagawa (72/90) and Schürrle (82) both missed chances in the closing stages, while at the other end the visitors spurned several counter-attacking opportunities to put the game to bed. 

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The scenario:
It was sixth-placed Borussia Dortmund, winless in seven Bundesliga clashes, versus Werder Bremen, who had won two of their previous three outings. BVB had won 11 of their previous 12 meetings with Werder and had claimed victory in each of their last 10 duels at Signal Iduna Park.

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Mo Dahoud made the starting XI.

Personnel:
BVB were without seven injury absentees – Philipp, Castro, Götze, Piszczek, Reus, Rode and Durm – while Bremen were missing Zetterer, Johannsson and Zhang. Peter Bosz only made one change to the team that started in Madrid, replacing Sahin with winger Yarmolenko.

Tactics:
Werder, lining up in a 3-5-2 formation, opted for a flexible tactical approach that involved Junuzovic and Eggestein getting forward to support the two frontmen, while Gebre Selassie also forayed deep into opposition territory down the right when the visitors had the ball. Without possession, the Czech right-back and Augustinsson, occupying the other wing-back berth, would often drop back to form a back four or five. Borussia, meanwhile, opted for the 3-4-3 system they had deployed against Schalke, Leverkusen and Madrid, with Subotic as the man at the heart of the defence. The offensive-minded Kagawa and Dahoud featured in midfield, with Yarmolenko, Aubameyang and Pulisic forming the attacking triumvirate. The hosts reverted to 4-3-3 after the break with Bartra, Sokratis, Subotic and Schmelzer in defence, substitute Sahin in the holding midfield role, Dahoud and Kagawa sitting either side of the Turk, and Pulisic, Aubameyang und Schürrle – another second-half introduction – in the forward line.

The match & analysis:
Having ridden out a brief – but ultimately unsuccessful – spell of pressure from Dortmund at the outset, Bremen did well to neutralise the hosts, disrupting their build-up play early on and working hard when they didn't have the ball. Their first clear-cut chances fell to Junuzovic, who missed from close-range in the 9th and 22nd minutes, while Kruse's low effort on the turn from the edge of the penalty area was dealt with by Bürki (13). But the breakthrough came in the 26th minute when Kruse picked out Eggestein just outside the box, the attacking midfielder beating Guerreiro with a drop of the shoulder and unleashing a left-footed curler into the far corner.

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Snow lands on the turf at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK before kick-off.

Even after falling behind, the Black & Yellows struggled to get a foothold in the game and were either repeatedly thwarted by a strong Bremen rearguard or limited to hopeful long balls to the centre-forwards. Only Yarmolenko had a chance with a shot from distance on the 40-minute mark, but the Ukraine international's effort was wide of the mark. Werder continued to look threatening at the other end, with Kruse firing narrowly over from close range with 33 minutes on the clock.

Aubameyang restores parity

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Kagawa loses out to Kruse in an aerial battle.

Peter Bosz made a double-substitution at the interval, bringing on Sahin and Schürrle in place of Guerreiro and Yarmolenko, and clearly found the right words in his half-time team-talk. His charges upped the ante at the start of the second period, with Kagawa (47) and Schürrle (49/52) both having good chances kept out by shot-stopper Pavlenka. They were not to be discouraged, however, and netted a deserved equaliser through Aubameyang in the 57th minute. A misplaced Gebre Selassie clearance went straight to Schmelzer, whose cross found Kagawa at the back post. The Japan international headed the ball back across the six-yard box to Aubameyang, who held off Bargfrede and bundled the ball over the line.

The goal should have arguably settled the Westphalians, but instead it was the men from Bremen – who had lost two players, Bertels and Junuzovic, to injury either side of the break – that found themselves on the front foot again. The visitors would surely have made it 2-1 on 63 minutes if Kainz had managed to pick the right moment to pass to Gondorf following a counter-attack, before Kruse forced Bürki into an outstanding save from the edge of the penalty area barely 60 seconds later (64). Kainz delivered the resulting corner-kick into the six-yard box, where Gebre Selassie was given too much space and headed home to re-establish the lead (65).

Kagawa and Schürrle go close

It developed into an open encounter in the closing stages as the men in black and yellow attempted to restore parity once again. Pavlenka seemed beaten by a Kagawa shot from six metres out, but the Japan midfielder's effort unfortunately struck Aubameyang, who was lying on the ground, on the back and was deflected over the crossbar (72). Schürrle had another good opportunity ten minutes later, although he failed to get sufficient contact on the ball (82), then Kagawa narrowly missed from 17 metres in the final minute.

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Prospects:
Only three games remain until the winter break. Tuesday sees BVB travel to Mainz (20:30 CET), with TSG Hoffenheim the next visitors to Dortmund next Saturday (18:30 CET). Then, on the last Wednesday before Christmas (20/12, 20:45 CET), Borussia Dortmund will play at Bayern Munich in the DFB Cup.

Teams & goals