BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Borussia Dortmund took advantage of Bayern's unexpected Bundesliga misstep and managed to slightly close the gap on the league leaders. Four days after their Champions League defeat at Tottenham, BVB secured a 3:0 (1:0) victory at 1. FC Union Berlin, narrowing the deficit to Munich to eight points and holding second place. Unlike in London, Dortmund displayed a combative performance from the outset in Berlin-Köpenick despite subzero temperatures, even if there is still room for improvement in their play.
Schlotterbeck Senses a Slim Title Chance
"Of course, Bayern are almost unbeatable at the moment. Today, maybe they gave just a little less than usual. We gained three points, that's good," goalscorer Nico Schlotterbeck told Sky. "I just don't want the title to be decided in March. The goal is to stay in the race as long as possible."
In front of 22,012 fans at the sold-out Stadion An der Alten Försterei, BVB captain Emre Can put his side ahead with a penalty (10th minute). Former Union player Schlotterbeck (53') doubled the lead after the break. Maximilian Beier (84') sealed the final score.
The Ruhr club are now unbeaten in twelve league matches. However, coach Niko Kovac had recently described their title chances against Bayern—who suffered their first league defeat of the season with a 1:2 loss to FC Augsburg—as minimal.
For Union, it was their first defeat after five matches. The Berliners are still waiting for their first win of the year but remain comfortably mid-table.
Union Celebrate Themselves
The lackluster first-half display in London on Tuesday had reignited the mentality debate at BVB, a topic that seemed to have been put to rest under Kovac. The 54-year-old demanded his team show basic virtues like running and tackling commitment in Berlin. "Only then does football come," said Kovac. Dortmund accepted the battle, as Kovac expected, though they did not shine in terms of play.
Union, given their league position, went into the match with far less pressure. During the week, the club celebrated its 60th anniversary—including a live contract extension for captain Christopher Trimmel. Before the match, fans honored their club with a spectacular choreography and pyrotechnics. "You can see what's going on here," said Schlotterbeck. "I wish the club all the best."
Guirassy Wins Penalty, Can Converts
The first chance fell to the hosts. After a free kick, Union striker Andrej Ilic got on the end of the ball from close range, but his header failed to trouble BVB keeper Gregor Kobel (6').
Shortly after, Serhou Guirassy, who managed to get through with a bit of luck, was brought down in the box by Union goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow just before reaching the ball. Can converted his 12th Bundesliga penalty to give Dortmund the lead.
Set Pieces Make the Difference
It was initially a fast-paced game with chances for both sides. After an early turnover, three Dortmund players failed to capitalize from good positions for another goal (18'). As usual, Union were particularly dangerous from set pieces, which BVB frequently conceded. Diogo Leite missed with a header following a corner (28').
But after the break, BVB struck from a set piece: following a corner from Julian Ryerson, who also once played for Union, Schlotterbeck headed the ball into the net. After that, Dortmund mainly focused on defending their own goal. Union struggled to come up with creative ideas in attack. After Beier's goal made it 3:0, the match was all but decided./dav/DP/zb
