Bundesliga: Dortmund beat Hoffenheim 2-0 to cement third spot

Hoffenheim's Swiss midfielder #07 Leon Avdullahu (L) and Dortmund's Argentinian defender #28 Aaron Anselmino vie a header during the German first division Bundesliga football match between BVB Borussia Dortmund and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in Dortmund, western Germany, on December 7, 2025. (Photo by UWE KRAFT / AFP)

Kindly share this story:

Borussia Dortmund bounced back from Tuesday’s German Cup elimination by Bayer Leverkusen with a comfortable 2-0 home Bundesliga win over Hoffenheim on Sunday.

Dortmund won thanks to goals either side of halftime from Julian Brandt and Nico Schlotterbeck.

The victory helped third-placed Dortmund open up a five-point gap over Leverkusen in fourth.

Dortmund sit a point behind second-placed RB Leipzig but are already nine points behind runaway league leaders Bayern Munich with 13 games played.

Caught in the relegation mire last season, Hoffenheim have impressed this campaign and came into the weekend in fourth.

Dortmund should have taken the lead after 20 minutes when Karim Adeyemi fed Serhou Guirassy, one-on-one with the Hoffenheim goalie Oliver Baumann, but the Guinean got his feet in a knot and failed to get a shot away.

The hosts broke through just before the break when Yan Couto burst down the right and cut the ball back superbly for Brandt to tap home.

Dortmund doubled up with a half-hour remaining, Schlotterbeck guiding a shot through a crowded penalty area and past a diving Baumann.

Guirassy had a chance to put icing on the cake when put through on goal late, but chipped his shot onto the crossbar.

The 29-year-old striker has only scored once in the league dating back to mid-September.

Earlier on Sunday, Yussuf Poulsen came off the bench to score an 84th-minute winner as Hamburg came from a goal down to beat Werder Bremen at home in a fiery clash.

In Germany’s first top-flight ‘Northern Derby’ since 2018, Jens Stage gave Bremen the lead before the break, but Albert Lokonga levelled things up midway through the second half.

Tottenham loanee Luka Vuskovic put Hamburg in front with an incredible no-look backheel with 15 minutes remaining, but Bremen’s Justin Njinmah hit back three minutes later.

Poulsen came off the bench and scored two minutes later, tucking a controlled shot into the bottom corner, his first goal for the club.

The win took Hamburg four points clear of the relegation spots, with 13 of their 15 points this season coming at their Volksparkstadion fortress.

AFP

Kindly share this story:

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: [email protected]

UPDATE NEWS: Nigerians can now invest ₦2.5million on premium domains and profit about ₦17-₦25Million. All earnings paid in US Dollars. Rather than wonder, 👉 click here to find out how it work (Be sure to ask for evidence of clients that have benefitted from this)

Stay informed and ahead of the curve! Follow The Punch Newspaper on WhatsApp for real-time updates, breaking news, and exclusive content. Don't miss a headline – join now!

Stay in the know—fast. Get instant alerts, breaking headlines, and exclusive stories with the Punch News App. Download now and never miss a beat.