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Bayer Leverkusen 1-0: Borussia Dortmund succeeds in opening the season thanks to Marco Reus

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Borussia Dortmund got off to a good start in the new Bundesliga season. BVB won their home game on Matchday 1 against Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 (1-0).

  • Captain Marco Reus scored the goal of the day for BVB after nine minutes.
  • Leverkusen keeper Lukas Hradecky saw the red card in stoppage time for handling a ball outside the penalty area. You can read what he said afterwards here.
  • Karim Adeyemi played a key role in the 1-0, but had to be substituted a little later due to injury.
  • Because of a “suspicious vehicle with the engine running” in a parking lot around the Dortmund stadium, the spectators were asked by announcement and by the police not to leave the stadium after the end of the game. The all-clear was given later.

BVB – Bayer Leverkusen: The analysis

Hard-fought first half with many duels and also fouls, which interrupted the flow of the game at times. Dortmund stuck to the 4-2-3-1 that was successful in the cup with Moukoko as a striker, although Malen also repeatedly pulled into the center from the left. BVB was particularly strong against the ball. The ball-carrying Leverkusen man was usually surrounded by two men, at times they were a little lower.

That took Bayer in possession of the ball straight over the wings, there was no getting through. The guests usually only started to become dangerous when, after Dortmund lost the ball, they attacked the spaces behind the highly advanced full-backs Guerreiro and Meunier and Borussia’s remaining defense didn’t fit. However, that was true for both teams, top-class chances were scarce – even if Reus had the second goal after his opening goal (20th).

The intensity did not change in the second section either. Leverkusen changed offensively and stayed in the game, despite Hazard’s early big chance (49th), Dortmund lacked relief as the game went on. Bayer became more and more present in the last third, got the wings better and managed to get behind the Dortmund defense a few times – but BVB goalkeeper Kobel reacted very strong twice.

The guests threw everything forward in the last quarter of an hour and noticeably increased the pressure, Dortmund only reacted and switched to a three-man chain in the last few minutes. The spaces for BVB counterattacks grew, but brought nothing. The hosts saved the narrow result over time.

BVB – Bayer Leverkusen: The voices of the coaches

Edin Terzic (BVB coach): “We had a very nervous start. The most important thing is that we defend with everything we have. Today we showed that we can do it.”

Gerardo Seoane (Leverkusen coach): “In the end, the disappointment stands out. We made too many mistakes in the first half, but then we showed a clear improvement in performance in the second half. Given that, we would have wished for a better result.”

BVB – Bayer Leverkusen: The lineups

Dortmund: Kobel – Meunier, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Guerreiro (84th Wolf) – Dahoud, Bellingham – Adeyemi (23rd Hazard), Reus, Malen (84th Can) – Moukoko (69th Brandt).

Leverkusen: Hradecky – Frimpong, Tah, Tapsoba, Hincapie (78th Bakker) – Andrich (13th Aranguiz), Palacios (78th Amiri) – Bellarabi (46th Hlozek), Demirbay (66th Azmoun), Diaby – Schick.

BVB – Bayer Leverkusen: The data of the game

Goal: 1-0 Reus (9th)

Red card: Hradecky (90+3/Leverkusen)

  • Dortmund has won their game on matchday one in each of the last eight Bundesliga seasons – a new Bundesliga record.
  • Edin Terzic has now won eight Bundesliga games in a row as a coach. Only Jürgen Klopp managed to do that in the 2011/12 season.

The star of the game: Jude Bellingham (BVB)

Completed a crazy stint and could be found almost anywhere on the pitch. The 1-0 would not have happened without his ball win. Conquered the ball dozens of times. The absolute boss of the Dortmund game.

The flop of the match: Karim Bellarabi (Bayer Leverkusen)

Hardly found in game. In the first half with the fewest ball contacts (17), in the duels without penetration. Substituted at the break.

The referee: Dr. Felix Brych

Proper game direction. Not always with the same line in personal penalties, but without mistakes. Denied BVB an early corner kick (7th). Palacios, who received a yellow card, barely avoided a red card after his foul on Moukoko (36′). The right decision to deny the guests’ alleged 1-1 lead by Palacios for offside (52′) – just like Schlotterbeck’s own goal when Azmoun was too far ahead (80′). The dismissal against Hradecky was undisputed.

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