Borussia Dortmund secured a crucial victory in the Bundesliga by defeating Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 at BayArena. This win allowed them to surpass their opponents in the league standings. Aaron Anselmino and Karim
Adeyemi both scored with headers, helping Niko Kovac's team extend their unbeaten run to five matches. Despite Leverkusen's efforts, Dortmund managed to hold on for the win after drawing their previous two games.
Ernest Poku had an early chance to put Leverkusen ahead in the 10th minute but missed from close range. The first half seemed destined for a goalless draw until Anselmino headed in a cross from Daniel Svensson, with Mark Flekken only managing to tip it onto the post. After halftime, Malik Tillman missed a chance, and Serhou Guirassy's shot was saved by Flekken.
Adeyemi doubled Dortmund's lead with a powerful header from Fabio Silva's delivery at the near post. Jonas Hofmann and Poku both hit the crossbar, while Julian Brandt missed a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper. Christian Kofane reduced the deficit late on by guiding Ibrahim Maza's pass into the bottom-right corner.
The match was closely contested, with both teams registering four shots on target. Dortmund had an expected goals (xG) of 1.02 from seven shots, while Leverkusen recorded 0.93 xG from 14 attempts. Adeyemi has now scored in three consecutive games for Dortmund across all competitions, bringing his league total to four goals this season.
Leverkusen has struggled against Dortmund at home, winning only three of their last 19 league encounters (D5 L11). Their most recent victory over Dortmund at home came in January 2021 with a 2-1 scoreline.
Black and red yellow.
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Dortmund's victory was marked by efficient finishing, as Adeyemi scored with his only shot of the match and won three out of seven duels. This performance highlights his growing influence on the team's attacking play.
Despite Leverkusen's efforts to equalise late in the game, Dortmund maintained their composure to secure all three points. This result is significant as it ends their streak of two consecutive draws in the competition and boosts their position in the league table.
