Batshuayi double downs Eagles
Michy Batshuayi stepped off the bench to score a match-winning brace as Borussia Dortmund edged Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2 at Signal Iduna Park on Sunday evening. Borussia Dortmund 3 Eintracht Frankfurt 2 Russ OG gives Dortmund an early lead Jovic gets Eagles back on level terms Batshuayi swiftly restores BVB's lead Blum equalises before Batshuayi pounces
Match Summary
Peter Stoger's side led as early as the 11th minute courtesy of Marco Russ' own-goal, but they allowed the Eagles to get a foothold in the game and Luka Jovic scored a deserved equaliser with 15 minutes left on the clock.
Batshuayi quickly restored Dortmund's lead just 15 minutes after his introduction and the Belgian netted a last-gasp winner having seen Danny Blum level matters just three minutes earlier in stoppage time.
Full Report
The hosts made a bright start and created their first clear-cut chance from a free-kick in the seventh minute that was volleyed wide at the back post by Marco Reus.
They threatened again on 10 minutes as Andre Schurrle directed a header wide at the back post from Christian Pulisic's cross, although they broke the deadlock moments later.
Mahmoud Dahoud found Pulisic in space on the left and the American's dangerous cross was diverted into the back of the net by Russ in an attempt to prevent Reus from converting at the far post.
Schurrle and Reus then failed to test Lucas Hradecky with their respective efforts in the space of a minute around the midway point in the first half, while Dahoud drew the Finnish keeper into a routine save on the half-hour mark with a dipping strike from outside the box, having spun away from two markers to open up space.
Dortmund saw out the remainder of the half without incident, but the visitors improved in the second half and were asking questions of the home defence just three minutes after the restart.
Sebastien Haller flicked on a corner at the near post and Kevin-Prince Boateng looked to convert with a backheel at the back stick, but Roman Burki got down quickly to make the save.
Boateng was presented with another opportunity on 59 minutes after getting on the end of Danny da Costa's low cross into the box, but the Ghanaian fired over the crossbar, before Jonathan de Guzman cleared the target with an acrobatic effort in the 65th minute.
Niko Kovac's men were back on level terms 10 minutes later when an unmarked Jovic headed home De Guzman's free-kick, although parity lasted just two minutes as Batshuayi played a one-two with Pulisic before picking out the bottom-left corner of the net.
There was later drama to come, though, as Frankfurt thought they had snatched a share of the spoils in added time. Blum was left with a simple tap-in at close range after being picked out by Da Costa on the right.
However, Batshuayi rescued Dortmund with another late winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time, the striker showing great composure to bring down Lukasz Piszczek's cross and lash home on the half-volley.