Felix Nmecha’s two strikes from outside the box secured Borussia Dortmund a 2-1 victory over newly promoted Elversberg at Signal Iduna Park, keeping Niko Kovac’s men level on points with Bayern Munich and unbeaten in the Bundesliga this season.
The first half saw Dortmund struggle to break down a determined Elversberg side. Without their injured striker Serhou Guirassy, Dortmund were matched for long periods, while Carney Chukwuemeka was forced off after 34 minutes with a hamstring problem. The visitors created chances but could not find a way past goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, who made six saves including a flying stop to deny Lukas Petkov’s powerful 34-yard free kick.
In this story
Felix Nmecha
View profile
The breakthrough came ten minutes after the restart when Nmecha fired a low drive from the edge of the penalty area following a precise lay-off from Fabio Silva. His second goal arrived on 71 minutes with a powerful shot from 25 yards that left the goalkeeper no chance. Maximilian Beier, who came on for the injured Chukwuemeka, provided the assist for Nmecha’s long-range strike.
Elversberg pulled one back late in the game through substitute Noel Futkeu, who scored with a spectacular scissor kick nine minutes from time. Dortmund had to withstand a nervy finish, with Kobel tipping a stoppage-time deflection from Maximilian Beier over the bar. Despite the pressure, Dortmund held on to maintain their unbeaten run.
Dortmund’s defence was tested throughout. Captain Nico Schlotterbeck earned an 8/10 rating for his composed performance, including a long ball that set up Jobe Bellingham’s chance immediately after the break. Joane Gadou and Waldemar Anton both earned 7/10, with Gadou reading the game well at right-back and Anton winning key tackles. Daniel Svensson received a 6/10 and was fortunate to avoid a red card after a studs-up challenge on Lukas Pinckert.
In midfield, Joey Veerman kept the ball moving and made a critical last-ditch clearance to deny David Mokwa late on. Nmecha was named man of the match with a 9/10 rating for his two goals and overall influence, despite receiving a booking and narrowly avoiding a second yellow. Bellingham was busy throughout, creating several chances and tracking back well, earning a 7/10.
In attack, Konstantinos Karetsas troubled the Elversberg defence repeatedly, especially left-back Lasse Gunther, and was involved in winning the free kick that earned Gunther a booking. Fabio Silva led the line in Guirassy’s absence and linked well with Nmecha, though he missed a clear chance early on when the goalkeeper parried his shot. Carney Chukwuemeka showed promise before his injury, offering dangerous crosses and threading passes through for Nmecha.
Substitutes Maximilian Beier and Ramy Bensebaini contributed in the second half. Beier had three efforts blocked and nearly scored an own goal late on, while Bensebaini helped protect the lead after coming on for Gadou. Julian Ryerson replaced Karetsas as Kovac looked to shore up the defence.
Kovac’s side will head into the international break unbeaten in the league, tied on points with Bayern Munich after nine games. The win came despite a physical encounter and injury setbacks, leaving Dortmund’s title challenge intact for now.
According to Yahoo Sports.
