Borussia Dortmund pleased with back-to-back wins amid ongoing difficult run of fixtures

2 Borussia Dortmund returned to winning ways in the Bundesliga with a 1-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday. After successive league draws against Werder Bremen and Union Berlin, BVB had to remain patient against Adi Hütter’s side before substitute Maximilian Beier finally broke the deadlock in the 80th minute. Dortmund had created the better chances as the game wore on, but Frankfurt goalkeeper Noah Atubolu repeatedly kept the hosts at bay before Beier found the far corner to secure all three points. Speaking after the game, head coach Niko Kovac praised his side for responding after a demanding run of fixtures. “After such a demanding stretch of days, we had to dig deep in this match against a very good Eintracht team. In the second half, we were able to increase the pressure, prevent opposition chances, and walked off the field as deserved winners.” Kovac also stressed the importance of beating a strong opponent after Dortmund’s recent away schedule. “Coming off those tough away games, what I care about most is that we beat a quality side. That’s our takeaway, and we hope we can do it again in a few days.”

Dortmund turn attention to Bremen and Bayern

The victory arrives at an important moment for BVB, who now face two major domestic fixtures in quick succession. Dortmund host Werder Bremen in the second round of the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday before travelling to face Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga next weekend. Speaking to Sky after the Frankfurt win, Nico Schlotterbeck said Dortmund are improving but still have room to grow. “We’re not perfect yet, but the team is making progress. Next week, we’re off to take on Bayern. We want to play a strong game there. Before that, we’re up against Bremen. They’re in good form. I expect a high-intensity affair. The shortest path to silverware is the domestic cup.” The result also continued Dortmund’s impressive defensive start to the campaign. Schlotterbeck noted that BVB have now kept five clean sheets in their opening seven Bundesliga matches. With the win, Dortmund moved provisionally to the top of the Bundesliga on 17 points after seven matchdays, ahead of Bayern Munich’s meeting with Freiburg on Sunday. GGFN | Brook Genene