Dortmund beat Bremen to secure Bundesliga top spot into 2019

Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Werder Bremen
(Alcacer 21', Reus 27' — Kruse 35')

It wasn't the easiest game Dortmund have played this season, but it might be the most important. After a thrilling first half, BVB battled to deny a stubborn Bremen side a point.

After Davy Klaassen made a spectacular clearance off the line, the Dutchman was forced off and Bremen took a minute to readjust. In that time, Paco Alcacer headed home a Marco Reus free kick to eventually — VAR had to prove the Spaniard was not offside — give Dortmund the lead.

Just six minutes later, Reus slipped Jadon Sancho through out wide on the right and the English teenager delivered a perfect pass back to the Dortmund captain, who stroked into the far corner for his 10th Bundesliga goal of the season.

Bremen weren't reeling, though, and soon afterwards had their shimmer of hope when Max Kruse converted expertly from the edge of the box.

In the second half, Bremen might have leveled through Kruse and Möhwald, but were denied. Sancho should have added a third, but struck his effort straight at Jiri Pavlenka. Mario Götze thought he had scored a third off the bench, but VAR ruled it offside. It mattered not though, as Dortmund's two goals proved enough.

The result makes Lucien Favre's side Herbstmeister, the title given to the side that sits top of the Bundesliga table at the end of the first half of the season. When congratulated afterwards, Favre's reply (to Sky) said it all: "Thank you, but we have two more games left before the end of the season and the next game is the most important."

As it happened:

FULL TIME

90+5' Goal? Yes, but no. Götze knocks the ball in after a late counterattack but after the celebrations have calmed down, VAR says he's offside. Winkmann calls offside and then blows the final whistle. Florian Kohfeldt is furious there wasn't more time added on. Dortmund won't mind - they'll be top of the Bundesliga over the festive period.

90+4' Osako gets into the box, cleared. Corner. Pavlenka is up. Corner is hammered out by Witsel...

90+2' Long ball o'clock for Bremen. Sub time for Favre. Sancho off, Maxi Philipp comes on. Just three more minutes...

89' Sargent gets booked for holding back Guerreiro, but it was one of those cleverly won fouls by the BVB midfielder because he was the one who got an arm out first. Game experience there. It's Guerreiro's last action though, as he's replaced by Christian Pulisic.

87' Freekick to Bremen. Right-hand side, halfway between the edge of the box and the halfway line. Dangerous area, and one where if Bürki comes to claim he must and the Swiss does just that.

84' Bremen's turn to make a change. Josh Sargent is on (M. Eggestein), hoping to score another having headed in last weekend. Would be quite the story...  

80' Mario Götze is about to come on, with Alcacer coming off. Another game, another goal for the Spaniard. His great record continues. Bremen trying to find an opening, but Dortmund looking patient enough.

75' The game takes a breath, almost as if it knows that a dramatic finale is approaching. Are Dortmund going to pay for not taking their chances? Will Bremen reward themselves for staying in the game? Dortmund deal with a tricky cross, launch a break that looks promising but ends before it gathers steam.

68' CHANCE! And that really should have been the third. Sancho times his run perfectly, the ball comes from deep to slice Bremen's defense as expected but the teenager's shot is straight at Pavlenka. Soon after, Delaney has a go from range, but Bremen's keeper claws that one out as well.

62' Dortmund really pushing for a third now. Pressure is building. If Bremen can get to the final 15 with the score intact, they have a chance. Just to tell you how intense this one is, referee Guido Winkmann has picked up an injury. Has his thigh massaged and taped up and on we go.

56' The thing about Dortmund is they're just so fast. It's not often the ball is faster, but... Hakimi pings it into Alcacer and the ball comes off his shin towards Reus but with too much pace and the chance is gone. Not long after, Alcacer again breaks in and sets up Reus, but Pavlenka saves. There's that pace in action.

51' CHANCE! Non-stop action here. Rashica gets into space on the right, drives and delivers a perfect low pass for Möhwald. The midfielder takes a second too long, and so his shot is deflected over. Bremen are getting braver here.

48' CHANCE! Great passing gets Dortmund into the area, Reus curls one, Pavlenka saves and Sancho taps the rebound... into the side netting. Open goal there. By his own standards, probably should be scoring.

47' SAVE! Bremen start the half with a bang. Kruse gets an effort on goal, albeit off his shin rather than his boot, but Bürki's fingertips stop it from creeping into the far corner.

46' Second half has started.

HALFTIME

A thrilling game so far, with three great goals. Dortmund have shown why they're top of the table, but Kruse's great strike keeps the visitors in touch after Klaassen's early injury. All to play for!

45+1' That doesn't look good for Diallo. His pass back to Bürki is short and Delaney has to clip Harnik to make sure the striker doesn't take a touch and have a chance at an open goal. It leaves Bremen a freekick, but it comes to nothing.

44' What a tackle that is. Langkamp takes the ball off Guerriero just in time as Dortmund threaten again. Halftime is approaching but I'm not sure anyone wants it.

40' SAVE! This game has not taken a moment to stop since it started. With Bremen sensing they might get something, Reus whips in a freekick that forces a smart save out of Pavlenka. All happening in Dortmund!

35' GOAL! 2-1 Bremen (Kruse) More of that indeed! A ball is cleared, and then worked back in towards the edge of the Dortmund box. It's bouncing awkwardly but captain Max Kruse times his strike of the ball perfectly and it flies into the top corner. Game on!

32' SAVE! Bremen are still alive in this one. Möhwald has a go from range after another mini spell of pressure form the visitors and it takes a spectacular save from Bürki, diving high and to his right, to keep it at 2-0. The visitors need more of that.

27' GOAL! 2-0 Dortmund (Reus) Sancho has said on a number of occasions that his connection with Reus is already superb - and that is why. Reus down the middle plays it out wide right to Sancho and the teenager delivers a perfect pass back to Reus who strokes it home just inside the box. A beautiful goal, in all components.

26' Bremen look to be taking some time to deal with Klaassen's early injury. Not easy. They get a free kick in which leaves Bürki looking a little hesitant, but from the resulting corner the Swiss looks comfortable again. Bremen do have a bit of the ball now though, which they need to slow this one down.

21' GOAL! 1-0 Dortmund (Alcacer) A strange goal, but perhaps one that modern football will have more often in the future. A freekick from Reus comes in from the right, Alcacer nods it in and jumps for joy - but only temporarily as the referee calls for offside. On review though, it isn't and so after a short wait where everyone in the stadium, players included, looks towards the referee for an answer, the goal is given and the celebrations are resumed. Not undeserved.

16' Well, now Klaassen can't continue and I've had a second look at that tackle on Reus and it looks like a penalty to me. No touch on the ball and he clips Reus' right foot. Also had a chance to see Alcacer's turn again too. Wow. Great skill. Kevin Möhwald comes on for Klaassen. Once a hero in Nuremberg. Can he be the same here today for Bremen? Big ask.

11' Klaassen is back on now, and Dortmund come again. Reus is slipped in by Alcacer, but the striker is stopped in the box by Klaassen. A penalty? Tough to be clear without a replay, but no VAR intervention so on we go.

7' CHANCE! Oh my goodness. A great counterattack by Dortmund somehow doesn't end in a goal. Guerreiro plays in Alcacer who applies a wonderful dink. The ball looks like it's going in, but Davy Klaassen somehow throws his body at it to flick the ball onto the post and clear. The Dutchman hurts himself in the process and Guerreiro was offside (but no flag) anyway, but what a clearance that was. Wow. One of the great clearances.

4' As expected, fairly high tempo start. Bremen half threaten from a corner but Dortmund clear, then Reus tries to break clear but is tackled and then seconds later is offside.

1' Off we go! Bremen, in white, get us started.

- A special moment before kickoff as Nuri Sahin goes over to the Yellow Wall and applauds them, who applaud and chant his name in return. He might be playing against Dortmund today, but this is his home and everyone was reminded of that one more time tonight. A great servant for the club, and one of the nicest men in football.

- Whatever the game, the stadium remains one of the most impressive sights in football.

- The best Marco Reus ever? Perhaps. He has been in remarkable form, scoring 12 and assisting nine so far this season in all competitions. Oh, and he likes to play against Bremen.

- Teams! Dortmund turn to a strong team, making the expected changes after midweek's visit to Monaco. Raphael Guerreiro gets a starting spot though, after his midweek brace put Dortmund top of their group. Otherwise, as expected - no goals from Paco Alcacer off the bench today then.

Werder will hope Nuri Sahin can hold the midfield today in his old home, but will need Max Eggestein and Davy Klaassen to be at their best if they're to have a chance. Max Kruse's involvement in the game is also important for the visitors as it tends to dictate how well Bremen's attack plays. An attacking game ahead!

Dortmund XI: Bürki – Piszczek, Akanji, Diallo, Hakimi – Witsel, Delaney – Sancho, Reus, Guerreiro – Alcacer

Bremen XI: Pavlenka - Augustinsson, Moisander, Langkamp, Gebre Selassie - Sahin - M. Eggestein, Klaassen - Rashica, Kruse, Harnik 

- Good evening! After all that excitement earlier, it's now time for Dortmund to decide whether today will be another one of their days. With Bayern winning, Dortmund will have added incentive to secure three points of their own. In truth, Dortmund have been in such a league of their own they probably aren't even looking at the Bayern game.