2-1: Aubameyang fires BVB to their first win in 2014

Reporting from Braunschweig, Boris Rupert

The Eintracht stadium was a complete sell-out with 25,540 enjoying an opening phase where the home side dominated. Aubameyang’s goal was the first real sign that BVB were at the races but then BVB took over and were always more likely to add a second rather than concede an equaliser. But then, the home side did score courtesy of Kessel on 54 minutes! Happily Aubameyang notched his second of the game on 65 minutes to secure all three points for BVB with his eleventh goal of the season. Borussia then contrived to miss a number of chances to seal the win. Mkhitaryan, for instance, hit the post on 89 minutes but then so did Bicakcic at the other end in time added on. As the final whistle blew BVB had achieved their sixth consecutive away win on a Friday night.

The Scenario:

Both teams had emerged from the winter break with a draw. While BVB had had to make do with a 2-2 draw at home to FC Augsburg, Braunschweig had secured a point in Bremen. Borussia had won just four of their last 17 games in Braunschweig including the last meeting between the sides in Braunschweig some 30 years ago, 4-2 in 1985.

Personnel Matters:

Mats Hummels returned following a twelve week absence and joined Sokratis in the heart of the BVB defence. Sven Bender was thus able to return to his favoured holding position in midfield alongside Nuri Sahin. Aubameyang slotted into the space vacated by Jakub Blaszczykowski while Neven Subotic and Ilkay Gündogan remained on the injured list and new arrival Milos Jojic was unavailable.

Tactics:

The home side opted to change their normal 4-1-4-1 formation for a 4-4-2 with the main purpose being to disturb BVB high up the field with two players. The system also allowed Theuerkauf and Boland to sit alongside each other in holding midfield positions. BVB remained true to their regular 4-2-3-1 formation.

The Game and Analysis:

The opening phase was dominated by the home side who were compact in defence and attacked cleverly into spaces behind the BVB defence. Sahin was forced to clear after just three minutes to deny Nielsen while Weidenfeller was initially wrong-footed by Hochscheidt’s effort before calmly gathering up the ball on seven minutes. It took until the fifteenth minute before BVB posed a threat when a free kick by Reus led to a corner which saw a Bender effort deflected for a corner.

Bottom-of-the-table Braunschweig continued to have the edge and yet, after 28 minutes it was the visiting all-black-clad side that had the first real chance when Davari did well to tip a superb Sahin free-kick up and over the angle of post and cross-bar.

That moment seemed to change the course of the game. Soon, Sokratis was marching up the field and finding Lewandowski who, after exchanging passes with Reus clipped a ball across the box for Aubameyang to nod home. It was the striker’s tenth of the season and, after half an hour, was somewhat against the run of play. Five minutes before the break it was Aubameyang again who found the net, but this time a linesman’s flag chalked off the goal having deemed the striker offside. It was a close call, but…fair enough.

Braunschweig, having only once avoided defeat after going behind, were now unable to sustain their early dominance and slowly but surely they were forced onto the back foot by a Borussia outfit now closing down high up the park.

Just three minutes after the interval Reus had the chance to seal the deal when, following fabulous play by Mkhitaryan and Lewandowski, he was denied by Davari from an acute angle.

And then, just as the opening BVB goal had come against the run of play, so too did the home side’s equaliser. A pretty poorly struck corner from Hochscheidt was nudged on by Dogan at the near post allowing Kessel to scuff a shot goalwards which somehow eluded Weidenfeller to make it 1-1 on 54 minutes. BVB had thus surrendered a 1-0 lead for the fifth time this season and for the third time in a row.

But Reus was soon on the ball again, and, having won the ball near the halfway line, drove forward before crossing for Aubameyang to convert coolly to regain the lead for BVB on 65 minutes. Just as they had done last week against Augsburg, BVB had reacted quickly and tellingly to a 1-0 lead being taken from them.

Not long after the goal Reus was once again testing Davari in the home goal with a clever free-kick; then, another one-two involving Reus and Lewandowski saw the Pole denied at the last by Kessel on 75 minutes. It remained in the balance as Braunschweig introduced two more forwards with Bellarabi and Kumbela taking the field.

With the home side pressing BVB had more room to counter-attack and soon Reus was in on goal only for Davari to once again deny him. Then Mkhitaryan contrived to fire the ball against Reus rather than into the net and it was all becoming a little bit tense. With three minutes to go Weidenfeller had to be at his best to thwart Nielsen. The tension was building.

In the final, frantic moments BVB were fortunate when Bicakcic somehow hit the post with a header when it seemed easier to score thus emulating Mkhitaryan’s effort from the edge of the box at the other end moments earlier. Phew!

Teams & Goals

Bundesliga, Matchday 19
EINTRACHT BRAUNSCHWEIG – BORUSSIA DORTMUND 1-2 (0-1)

Eintr. Braunschweig: Davari – Kessel, Bicakcic, Dogan, Reichel – Elabdellaoui, Theuerkauf, Boland, Hochscheidt - Nielsen, Ademi
Borussia Dortmund: Weidenfeller – Großkreutz, Sokratis, Hummels, Schmelzer – Sahin, Bender –Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan, Reus - Lewandowski
Substitutions: 67. Bellarabi for Ademi, 73. Kumbela for Elabdellaoui, 78. Pfitzner for Bohland - 83. Piszczek for Großkreutz, 90. Kehl for Bender, 90.+3 Ducksch for Mkhitaryan
Goals: 0-1 Aubameyang (31., Lewandowski), 1-1 Kessel (54., corner Hochscheidt), 1-2 Aubameyang (65., Reus)
Corners: 6-7 (HT 2-3), Chances: 4-9 (1-3)
Referee: Fritz (Korb/Württ.), Yellow cards: - Mkhitaryan
Attendance: 25,540 (sold out), Weather: clear, -2 degrees Celsius

Prospects:

BVB have two more away games next; first travelling to Werder Bremen next Saturday in the Bundesliga (kick off 1530CET) before taking on Eintracht Frankfurt in the cup on Tuesday 11 Feb at 2045CET.