Borussia Dortmund continued his chase for the European Cup places in the Bundesliga with a late winning goal at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
With the 3: 2 (1-0) on Saturday, BVB celebrated its fourth win in the recent five games and is now in sixth place. According to the current starting point, sixth place only entitles you to participate in the playoffs for the Conference League. The gap to fifth place and the Europa League is only one point, in fourth place and the Champions League are three points. Dortmund will receive VfL Wolfsburg (6.30 p.m.) next Saturday.
Hoffenheim continues in the relegation zone, but still has five points ahead of the relegation place and plays on Saturday with Borussia Mönchengladbach (3:30 p.m.).
Dortmund takes the lead, but does not increase
The BVB was game -determining from the start, but only came to its first chance in the 20th minute and thus immediately for the lead. Julian Brandt had played Daniel Svensson, who forwarded across to Serhou Guirassy. He scored the gate, but the referee assistant raised his flag because of an offside position. The video assistant checked and contradicted: The gate counted with some delay.
A misunderstanding in the Hoffenheim defense would have led to 2-0 shortly afterwards, but Jamie Gitten was just over at his lifter (24th).
Dortmund’s Gittens is in the penalty area of Ostigard
The next opportunity for 2-0 had Guirassy from the penalty point after Gittens was fouled by Hoffenheim’s Leo Østigård. But TSG goalkeeper Oliver Baumann parried the penalty of Guirassy (34th). Hoffenheim then achieved the supposed compensation, but at Anton Stach’s goal, Pavel Kadeřábek was just offside (40th).
“We have to decide the game much earlier, we got ourselves in difficulties. And then it was a roller coaster ride. But I liked the moral we showed”said BVB coach Niko Kovac in an interview with the sports show.
Hoffenheim compensates for late, but BVB replies
After the break, Hoffenheim first celebrated the equalization: Stach served Adam Hlložek, who accepted the ball with his chest and shot on the goal – Ramy Bensebaini falsified (61.).
But Dortmund found an answer: Svensson flanked from the left, Julian Brandt took the ball with right volley and hit the left corner to 2-1 for BVB (74.). But the rescue was not: Hoffenheim’s David Jurásek flanked in added time, Kadeřábek headed unhindered (90.+1).
Dortmunds Serhou Guirassy cheered his goals together with his teammates
But BVB sets the end: Carney Chukwuemeka collided with the running goalkeeper Baumann, the ball landed at Waldemar Anton, who completed 3: 2 in the empty goal (90.+5). Baumann suffered a visible injuries to the face in the collision, but the protest of the Hoffenheimer was in vain.
Dortmund winning goal debate
For the decision he has “No understanding”said Oliver Baumann in an interview with the sports show. Of one “Scandal decision” Hoffenheim’s coach Christian Ilzer spoke. Dortmund’s coach Niko Kovac saw it “No foul”.
Alex Feuerherdt, spokesman for DFB Schiri GmbH, who organizes the referee in German professional football, defended the decision of referee Benjamin Brand at the request of the sports show.
Chukwuemeka and Baumann both ran to the ball, which was playable for both, said Feuerherdt. “Baumann throws himself towards the attacker with some risk and fends off the ball, but also hits the right foot of Chukwuemeka with his hands. As a result, this goes to the ground and with his knee hits the head of the goalkeeper. From our point of view there was no foul by Chukwuemeka, but a collapse.”