Randt’s Brilliance Propels Dortmund to the Top
Julian Brandt’s exceptional second-half chip led Borussia Dortmund to claim the top spot in the Bundesliga standings with a 1-0 victory over Werder Bremen on Friday.
In his 300th league appearance, Bremen-native Brandt broke the tie during the second half with a composed, delicate finish over the goalkeeper.
This win catapults Dortmund to the summit of the table for the time being, holding a one-point advantage, but Bayer Leverkusen could potentially regain the lead with a victory over Wolfsburg on Saturday.
Dortmund entered the match unbeaten, even though they had not been particularly impressive in the league, sharing the top spot with Bayern Munich with 17 points from seven matches.
It’s worth noting that Bremen was the last team to defeat Dortmund at their home ground, staging a remarkable comeback in August of the previous season, turning a 2-0 deficit into a thrilling 3-2 victory in injury time.
Bremen’s manager, Ole Werner, had vowed to play an attacking style against their more favored rivals during the week. Although the visitors displayed agility on the counter-attacks, they lacked the finishing touch—a recurring issue since their star striker, Niclas Fuellkrug, departed for Dortmund in September.
Brandt almost orchestrated the opening goal when he set up Marco Reus in the middle of the first half, but the former Dortmund captain’s shot narrowly missed the target.
Early in the second half, Donyell Malen received a superb lofted pass from Reus but failed to convert as his attempt went wide.
Dortmund persisted in their quest for the opening goal until Brandt took matters into his own hands, skillfully collecting an Emre Can pass and chipping the ball over Bremen’s goalkeeper, Michael Zetterer.
Despite holding the lead, Dortmund remained on the offensive as the match drew to a close, with Zetterer denying Sebastien Haller’s volley with just one minute left.
On Saturday, Bayern will be away at Mainz, a team they have struggled against, having lost their last three league encounters. Meanwhile, Stuttgart has the opportunity to leapfrog Dortmund in the standings with a victory over Union Berlin.
