Match analysis: Borussia Dortmund vs. Werder Bremen

In the Friday night match of Bundesliga‘s third game-week, Borussia Dortmund playing at home and secured a comfortable 1-0 win over Werder Bremen, with usual suspect Robert Lewandowski scoring the lone goal in the 55th minute.

Robert Lewandowski of Dortmund scores his teams first goal during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen at Signal Iduna Park on August 23, 2013 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Both teams came into the game having won their respective first two fixtures of the season. Bremen also were the only team in the Bundesliga that had not conceded a goal in the opening two games. Bremen had 1-0 wins over Eintracht Braunschweig and Augsburg. Incidentally, the same two clubs had been Dortmund’s opponents in the first two rounds – Dortmund beating Augsburg 4-0 & then Braunschweig 2-1.

Dortmund starting XI: Weidenfeller, Grosskreutz, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer, Sahin, Kehl, Kuba, Mkhitaryan, Reus, Lewandowski

Bremen starting XI: Mielitz, Gebre Selassie, Prodl, Lukimya, Caldirola, Junuzovic, Makiadi, Hunt, Ekici, Arnautovic, Yildirim

Bremen started the game with strong defensive tactics, defending deep in their half, not pressing too much and tackling hard before the Dortmund players had time to settle. So much so that with about a quarter of the game gone, Bremen had a share of more than 70% tackles. Slowly but surely, Klopp’s gegen-pressing i.e. pressing against space tactics started working and the Dortmund wide players found space regularly on the flanks.

The central midfield duo of club captain Kehl and Sahin were a bit off in timings their tackles. Mkhitaryan enjoyed some nice first touches and one-twos with Reus and Lewandowski. ‘Kuba’ B?aszczykowski regularly found space on the right side and was able to feed in balls to the attackers. He even rattled the cross-bar in the 36th minute. Grosskreutz got into good positions time and again but couldn’t quite deliver the final ball.

Dortmund had a fair number of chances to score from set pieces. Nuri Sahin volleyed wide & Henrikh Mkhitaryan could only lift his effort over. With three minutes before half-time, Reus’ deflected effort narrowly evaded Lewandowski for a tap in at the far post. The Bremen keeper had to make a couple of saves and stand-in captain Aaron Hunt cleared off the line. In injury time, against the run of play, Marko Arnautovic almost gave Bremen the lead, when his low effort whizzed past the post.

In the second half, Dortmund continued making chances for themselves, and were rewarded in the 55th minute when Reus, having just swapped wings, collected Grosskreutz’s short pass and crossed low into the path of the waiting Lewandowski, who scored with an easy tap in. Dortmund now relaxed, having the comfort of a goal, and often threatened to increase the lead.

Schmelzer’s hanging cross cum shot was meekly palmed away by Mielitz only to Sahin, who hit an acrobatic scissor kick that sailed just over. Crowd favourite ‘Kuba’ was replaced by Aubameyang, who instantly provided a higher level of pace to the attacks. He had a chance to seal the win in the 75th minute when he broke free down the right-hand side only to be denied in a one-on-one with Bremen goalkeeper Sebastian Mielitz.

Hunt again cleared off the line when Mats Hummels flicked on a corner to Lewandowski, who tried to guide the ball in. Weidenfeller, who had been a spectator for the whole match, produced a good save to deny Bremen substitute Franco di Santo a late equalizer on the Argentine’s Bundesliga debut.

Lewandowski might have scored the goal, but Reus was the one around whom almost everything good that Dortmund created, revolved around. Free kicks, passes , through ball, tracking back – Reus did everything expected from him and more. The only stat lacking was a goal. Other than assisting Lewandowski’s match winner, Reus had eight attempts on goal and created another five for his team-mates.

Although they didn’t get any points, Bremen can still take positives out of the game. After conceding almost 2 goals per game last season, this season they look a much more defensively solid and sound unit. Robin Dutt can take solace in the fact that the team showed an impressive amount of resilience after going down a goal and did well to press for an equalizer in the last 15-20 minutes.

”Something’s still missing. We’re not yet at 100 percent,” said Marco Reus after the match. One could feel the same while watching the game. Dortmund were not quite themselves, their passing was not up to their usual standard and their overall game was not quite free flowing. One could be inclined to think the missing ingredient was their midfield lynch-pin Ilkay Gundogan.

But if Dortmund can manage more than 30 shots and a clean sheet without him, things can only improve when he comes back into the side.

For those Dortmund fans who believe in omens, here is a good one – the only previous two times when Dortmund started the season with three wins, the side went on to win the title in 1994-95 and 2001-02.