Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Koln
Borussia Dortmund overcame a slow start as they avoided a collapse against FC Koln in the second matchday of the Bundesliga.
With both teams trying to gain more momentum in this season’s early stages, perhaps a sense of urgency was shown as this game provided some noteworthy Bundesliga 2019 highlights.
BVB fell behind in the first half for the second straight game after a goal by Dominick Drexler in the 29th minute. However, Lucien Favre’s side took over in the second half, going back to their old dominant form.
From there, they scored three goals care of Sancho, Hakimi, and Alcacer as they took a 3-1 lead and never looked back.
It was jam-packed crowd over at the RheinEnergieStadion where lively fans were treated with some high-octane football action despite the loss of their home team.
Allow SBOBET to take you to the game’s notable highlights.
Highlights of the game
Even with the Bundesliga 2019 odds stacked against the home team in winning this game, they came out aggressive from the start by pressing hard on defence, creating for themselves numerous chances.
Axel Witsel dictated tempo at the midfield as Die Fohlen controlled possession in the match’s early stages. Jadon Sancho had multiple forays in dashing to the box only to be thwarted by the defence of the Billy Goats.
Koln left-back Jonas Hector had an open attack for a shot on target but his strike didn’t hit anything as the ball went too far to the right.
A few minutes later, Anthony Modeste volleyed over a lovely cross for a Jhon Cordoba attempt, but the ball went by just inches away to the striker’s foot. The two had more cracks at it but both attempts were unsuccessful. It was a bit of a lucky break then for BVB.
Another Dortmund attempt came when Marco Reus had a beautiful shot on target via a free-kick, but Timo Horn deflected it away for a corner instead.
FC Koln’s moment of glory came when Dominick Drexler scored a goal via a header at the 29th minute. The German midfielder found himself at the right place at the right time after a long cross off of a corner kick. The Billy Goats continued to frustrate the eager Dortmund side for the rest of the first half.
Lucien Favre brought in Achraf Hakimi and Julian Brandt to replace Nico Schulz and Julian Weigl in an attempt to draw out more from his wards. And he did so as Dortmund came out with a more inspired effort in the second half.
Jadon Sancho also showed his superb fitness levels by keeping on with the attack, giving us more reason as to why we should watch out for him all throughout the Bundesliga season.
Julian Brandt and Thorgan Hazard did fairly well in this match. However, expect Lucien Favre to try and get more out from their efforts today. After all, the duo was signed for hefty prices during the transfer market this offseason.
It seemed that FC Koln’s defence was always a step ahead of Borussia Dortmund as they kept on stealing their passes away. But Die Fohlen found a way to figure that out a few minutes later.
After a mad scramble for the ball inside the box, Anthony Modeste scored a goal after he found himself open. Unfortunately for the fans in Cologne, he was offside per the VAR.
Instead of trailing 0-2, the tally went 1-1 at the 70th minute when Jadon Sancho chipped in the equaliser via a leftie strike after a short corner kick.
Achraf Hakimi added one goal of his own at the 76th minute after he headed an exquisite volley by Lukasz Piszczek right past Horn’s hands. The road team looked to be in firm control and momentum has swung their way.
For good measure, Dortmund did a successful counter-attack and Jadon Sancho was responsible once more for his squad’s third goal. He drove the ball past Koln’s defender and served it over to Paco Alcacer for an easy score.
FC Koln’s old problems on defence reared its ugly head towards the end and they faltered. Nonetheless, it was an admirable effort for the club who just got promoted once again to top-flight status.
Key statistics
BVB had more total shots (14) and shots on target (6) in this road game. They also controlled most possessions (74-per cent) and they displayed their passing prowess as well (677 total passes at 87-per cent accuracy).
With this win, Dortmund continues to hold the table’s top spot with six points and two wins while FC Koln suffered their second straight loss in a row.
This will be BVB’s 15th win against FC Koln.
What’s next?
FC Koln will be on the road going up against SC Freiburg on August 31 while Borussia Dortmund are slated to face the lowly FC Union Berlin on the next day at the An der Alten Forsterei.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
