Borussia Dortmund fell to a narrow 3-2 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen in an entertaining encounter at Signal Iduna Park.
Despite a strong second-half comeback, Dortmund’s defensive errors in the early stages proved costly as Leverkusen’s clinical finishing helped them secure all three points in this Bundesliga clash.
The match started with a bang as Bayer Leverkusen took the initiative almost immediately. Nathan Tella opened the scoring in the first minute with a stunning right-footed strike into the top-left corner after a well-placed header from Robert Andrich.
Unexpectedly, Dortmund struggled to find their feet again before Leverkusen doubled their lead just seven minutes later.
Patrik Schick found space in the box and fired a right footed effort into the top right corner after an assist from Piero Hincapie.
Dortmund responded in the 12th minute through Jamie Gittens, whose accurate left-footed finish from close range brought the hosts back into contention.
Starting 2025 with a W! 😮💨
90+5′ | 2-3 | #BVBB04 pic.twitter.com/fGfVh4yEMT
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) January 10, 2025
However, their hopes of leveling the match were short-lived. Leverkusen’s relentless attack continued, and Schick struck again in the 19th minute, finishing left-footed after a set-up by Jeremy Fribong.
The second half saw a determined Dortmund side try to come back.
Maximilian Beier and Karim Adeyemi tested Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky but their efforts were either saved or narrowly wide.
A pivotal moment came in the 75th minute when Julien Duranville was fouled in the box by Edmond Tapsoba, prompting a VAR review that led to a penalty for Dortmund.
Serhou Guirassy stepped up and calmly converted the spot-kick to make it 3-2.
The closing stages were marked by frantic action as Dortmund threw everything forward in search of an equaliser.
Substitute Donyell Malen had a chance blocked in the 93rd minute and Felix Nmecha’s late efforts from midfield added more drama.
Tempers flared in the dying moments of the match, with Nmecha booked for a reckless foul on Florian Wirtz in added time.
Despite Dortmund’s relentless pressure, Leverkusen held on, earning a hard-fought win for Xabi Alonso.
2025-01-10 22:24:00
