2-1 – Borussia win the big game in Leverkusen | OneFootball

The teams cancelled each other out in the first half until Aaron Anselmino rose highest in the air and converted Daniel Svensson's free-kick cross to give BVB the lead 1-0 on 41 minutes. It was Dortmund's first shot on goal. Karim Adeyemi doubled the lead in the 65th minute, heading home to make it 2-0. Shortly thereafter, his teammates missed several chances to score a third to put the game to bed. Instead, Christian Kofane brought the hosts back into it in the 83rd minutes, making it 2-1.

The scenario: Third against fourth. Only one point separated the two sides ahead of the match. Leverkusen found themselves in a Champions League position for the first time this season and also found themselves above the Black & Yellows for the first time. BVB had last lost in Leverkusen in 2021.

Personnel matters:  Niko Kovac sent out the same team that beat Villarreal 4-0 on Tuesday, except for one change: Julian Ryerson replaced Yan Couto, who dropped to the bench.

Tactics:   Leverkusen, like BVB, lined up in a 3-4-2-1 formation. Andrich, on the right of the back three, pushed forward frequently down the right wing, while Garcia dropped between the two remaining centre-backs in the build-up. Adeyemi and Sabitzer paid particular attention to Leverkusen’s important playmakers. Sabitzer often moved out of the BVB midfield four. At times, the team pressed extremely high with six players. BVB did not want Leverkusen play, restricting Grimaldo's options significantly.The match & analysis:The first 40 minutes were very evenly contested. Both teams showed each other great respect, and both had their good moments going forward in the game. BVB had the first promising attack of the match, but Nmecha, Brandt and Adeyemi failed to apply the finish in the 8th minute. Leverkusen had the first good chance to score when Poku was given far too much space in the tenth minute after a pass down the left wing, but the Leverkusen man missed the target by far from seven metres out.

BVB took advantage of a free-kick situation shortly before the break, after the first three corners had not come to anything. Adeyemi, played through by Guirassy, was fouled by Tapsoba on the right wing. Svensson floated the free-kick cross into the box, and Anselmino rose highest and headed the ball just inside the post. Flekken managed to get a touch, but could not stop it crossing the line in the 41st minute.

Borussia defended very compactly despite the more offensive system, sometimes with all ten outfield players behind the ball. After 50 minutes, the team had run three kilometres more than Bayer. In terms of shots, Leverkusen were 8-2 ahead (two of them were inside the box). The game was increasingly taking place in the Dortmund half. It was only from the 56th minute that the Black & Yellows managed to relieve the burden again. And three minutes later, another dangerous set piece situation followed: Ryserson floated in the free kick, and Guirassy forced Flekken into a brilliant save in the 59th minute.

On 65 minutes, Fabio Silva, who had just been brought on, received a throw-in around the halfway line, moved from the left to the centre with the ball at his feet, and although his first attempted through ball did not find its target, he picked up the deflected ball, crossed from the inside-right, and found the run of Adeyemi, whose powerful header from ten metres out found the right-hand corner of the net to make it 2-0.

Now both sides opened up: Hofmann hit the bar in the 71st minute, then Brandt hit the outside net a minute later after Nmecha’s through ball. Three minutes later, Brandt had the 3-0 on the tip of his toe again, but did not strike the ball properly on the turn in the penalty area. At the other end, BVB once again had luck – and the crossbar – on their side, when Poku’s deflected cross landed on the top of the woodwork in the 78th minute. Five minutes later, Kofane prodded Maza’s cross over the line to make it 2-1. Neither the crosser (Maza) nor the finisher (Kofane) were marked closely enough. What followed was a defensive battle. After five minutes of extra time, Dortmund finally secured the away win!

Football Bundesliga, Matchday 12 Saturday, 29 November 2025, 18:30 CETBAYER LEVERKUSEN – BORUSSIA DORTMUND 1-2 (0-1)

Bayer Leverkusen: Flekken – Andrich (Quansah, 88), Badé, Tapsoba – Hofmann (Echeverri, 74), Maza, Aleix Garcia, Grimaldo –Tillman (Terrier, 74), Poku (Tella, 88) – Schick (Kofane, 63)Bor. Dortmund: Kobel – Anselminio, Anton, Schlotterbeck – Ryerson (Couto, 80), Nmecha (Bensebaini, 90), Sabitzer, Svensson – Adeyemi (Bellingham, 80), Brandt (Chukwuemeka, 90) – Beier (Fabio Silva, 61)Bench: Lomb, Belocian, Ben Seghir, Sarco – Meyer, Groß, Duranville, Can Goals: 0-1 Anselmino (Svensson, 41), 0-2 Adeyemi (Fabio Silva, 65), 1-2 Kofane (Maza, 83)Corner-kicks: 9-3 (half-time: 4-3), Shots: 3-6 (1-2)Referee: Welz (Wiesbaden), Yellow cards: Tillman, Tapsoba, Quansah, Garcia – Schlotterbeck, Ryerson, Fabio Silva, CoutoAttendance: 30,210 (sold-out), Weather: cloudy, 10 degrees