Sabitzer strikes to undo Füllkrug's brace as Dortmund end Bremen's Pokal dream
| Photo: Pau Barrena/Getty Images. |
Borussia Dortmund encountered another nervy finish but came out on top this time with a 3-2 victory over Werder Bremen in the DFB-Pokal. Niclas Füllkrug's brace off the bench appeared to have forced extra-time until Marcel Sabitzer struck a late winner with the clock in red.
Following a delay to kick-off as pyrotechnic smoke filled the Westphalian air, cheers soon followed as Dortmund snatched a 1-0 lead. Moving quickly on the break, Maximilian Beier picked out Julian Ryerson centrally who teed up Serhou Guirassy from seven yards out.
Beier soon had a goal chalked off for offiside, but BVB would not be deterred. Veerman's diagonal ball to the edge of the box was knocked down by Jobe Bellingham. Arriving on time was Carney Chukwuemeka whose rasping shot was too hot for Karl Hein to stop.
A much changed Bremen side were not shy in attack either – Marco Grüll's sighter from range at least had Gregor Kobel scrambling. The hosts easily could have been out of sight before the break, if not for Guirassy wasting a cross delivered by Joane Gadou.
Chukwuemeka's chance at a brace passed him by shortly after half-time, dwindling on the ball to a point where Hein could intervene. Daniel Thioune waited until the final third of the game to introduce a powerful quartet of Lynen, Weiser, Reis and Niclas Füllkrug.
The latter, most notably, proceeded to turn the game on it's head in the space of 9 minutes. His first coming from the penalty spot after a foul on Mick Schmetgens, with a stunning second goal involving a nutmeg on Anton and a rasping strike from outside the box.
Suddenly, it was Niko Kovač's side gasping for air and control of the game. In came Nwaneri, Sabitzer, Svensson and Fábio Silva, but Bremen continued to pour forward. Had Weiser's snapshot on 75 minutes crept in, the outcome could have been so different for the guests.
Still, there was time for a final twist in the tale. Deep into injury time, a freekick on the edge of the box would be decisive. Marcel Sabitzer stepped up to curl it over the wall and peel away in celebration. An all-but-easy 3-2 win putting BVB into the Pokal's round of sixteen.
