Borussia Dortmund 5-1 Hannover 96
There’s no question about Borussia Dortmund’s legitimacy as Bundesliga league leaders after such a strong showing against Hannover 96.
They were the heavy favourites coming into the game, and many will be pleased that they performed up to par of the lofty expectations that have been placed upon them by their supporters and the pundits that have come to support them.
Marco Reus and Achraf Hakimi were the stars of the night in what is a celebration of the captain’s return to the first team.
Highlights of the game
Hannover came into this game with more defensive urgency when the BVB got their captain back days before the match. Marco Reus’ return to team training after being injured for a long time was the biggest Bundesliga 2019 news of the week, and many expected the BVB to come out of the gates firing.
Hannover hoped that they would be able to catch the league leaders off-guard the same way they did during their earlier meeting in September. Hendrik Weydandt tried to snatch an early lead when he headed the ball towards the goal, but Roman Burki pulled off a brilliant play to stop the ball from going in.
However, Hannover haven’t been able to hold the football for much since then. From that point on, they watched the BVB take control of the football as they launched attack after attack to their backline. Dortmund enjoyed long periods of possession with the football as Hannover’s 3-4-3 formation didn’t seem to stop them.
It didn’t take long before the BVB began closing in on Hannover’s goal. Marco Reus was released twice after the twenty-minute mark to challenge Michael Esser twice. Unfortunately for him, both of his shot attempts flew just wide of the target.
Their total dominance on the attack was eventually rewarded in the 23rd minute when Achraf Hakimi fired home the game’s first of six goals. He engaged Raphael Guerreiro in a beautiful one-two to get himself free and target the ball past the Hannover stopper.
The game was well into Dortmund’s pace, and Lucien Favre’s men had all the time in the world to snatch the second goal. They almost got their goal before the first half ended when Guerreiro had a chance to power in a ball at the edge of the box. Unfortunately, Esser was able to reach the ball and end the first half with Dortmund only ahead by a single goal.
However, the second half didn’t even offer that much of a respite for the relegation-threatened Hannover. Marco Reus celebrated his return from injury with a beautiful goal on 60 minutes. Hakimi made a brilliant tackle inside the Hannover box and passed the ball to the captain. Reus coolly chipped the ball past a rushing Esser for goal number two.
Mario Gotze joined in on the scoring party a mere two minutes later. Jadon Sancho, another key man in Dortmund’s successes, attracted the defence to the middle of the pitch before making the pass to Gotze on the right. The free striker didn’t waste any time and fired the third goal in.
Reus reminded everyone that he’s not behind the striker just for decoration as he showcased his passing skills. He led the quick counter from the centre of the pitch and ran past two Hannover shirts. He also commanded attention as a dangerous scoring threat before passing the ball to a rushing Guerreiro for the 67th-minute goal.
Dortmund fans were extremely confident that they would end the night with a deserved clean sheet, but Marvin Bakalorz had other plans. It was a brilliant individual effort as he ran while surrounded by four Dortmund defenders. He then fired a shot that bounced towards the goal and surprised a frustrated Burki.
Witsel closed out the evening with another goal to secure Dortmund’s four-goal lead. It was a beautiful long-range effort that Esser could do nothing about. It may be that Witsel is sending a message to the confident Manuel Neuer.
Dortmund may not be unbeatable, but they will surely make life difficult for those who would try to topple them off the top.
Key statistics
Dortmund have been a dominant force in the Bundesliga this season, and this game is another case study as to why they have been successful this season. They controlled the pace of the game, holding the football for 63% of the 90 minutes. Their shot attempts and offside traps were also on point throughout the game.
However, it was in the second half where Favre’s attacking philosophies were in full show. They had the ball for almost two-thirds of the half, made 10 attempts to Hannover’s one, and had more dead-ball opportunities in the final half.
What’s next?
Borussia Dortmund has not disappointed in the league and have even exceeded pre-match expectations. Bundesliga 2019 odds at SBOBET have definitely improved, and they will be sure favourites against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Meanwhile, I’m not sure how Hannover will handle RB Leipzig at home as the club hasn’t won a game since November. They could aim for a draw, but I’m not sure if they can handle the Red Bulls’ youth and football acumen.
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