Jadon Sancho seals Borussia Dortmund’s ticket into DFB Cup last 16 with win over Eintracht Braunschweig
Goals from Mats Hummels and Jadon Sancho booked Borussia Dortmund’s passage into the last 16 of the DFB Cup thanks to a hard-fought 2-0 victory away to second-division outfit Eintracht Braunschweig.
BRAUNSCHWEIG 0-2 DORTMUND
Goals: 0-1 Hummels (12'), 0-2 Sancho (90'+2)
Dortmund began the game eager to make amends for Friday's disappointing 2-1 loss to Union Berlin, and they settled the quicker of the two teams. With Erling Haaland and Youssoufa Moukoko both out inured, interim head coach Edin Terzic gave 22-year-old Steffen Tigges his senior competitive debut up front, but it was Hummels who gave BVB a deserved lead early on, sweeping in from close range after Thomas Delaney's miscued shot following a free-kick. Dortmund could have taken a more comfortable advantage in at the break, with Julian Brandt firing over when well placed to score, and Jude Bellingham hitting the post, but they were relatively untroubled at the back.
Bellingham went close again early in the second half but was denied from close range by goalkeeper Jasmin Fejzic, before Braunschweig had their best chance of the game. Marcel Bär held off the challenge of Mateo Morey as he entered the box, but saw his shot crash off the crossbar. Tigges went one-on-one with Fejzic in the closing stages as the hosts pushed forward and left gaps at the back, but once again Fejzic made a fine save. There was nothing he could do in stoppage time, however, as Sancho collected Marco Reus' pass, rounded the goalkeeper and slotted into an empty net to rubberstamp Dortmund's place in the next round.
Match stats
- Moukoko became the Bundesliga's youngest ever goalscorer - at 16 years and 28 days - when he found the target against Union last Friday.
- The injured Haaland is Dortmund's top scorer this season with 17 goals from 14 games in all competitions.
- Three of Gio Reyna's five Dortmund goals to date have been scored in the DFB Cup.
- Dortmund have won the DFB Cup four times, most recently in 2017. Braunschweig's deepest run in the competition was to the semi-finals, which they managed in 1981 and 1990.
- Dortmund edged in front in their head-to-head record with Braunschweig. They have now won 16 games to the Lions' 15, with 10 draws.
- Bundesliga champions in 1967, Braunschweig are currently 15th in Bundesliga 2, 31 places below Dortmund on the German footballing pyramid.
Line-ups
Braunschweig: Fejzic - Schlüter, Wydra, Nikolaou, Wiebe (Ziegele 72') - Kammerbauer, Ben Balla (Kroos 80') - Kaufmann (Schwenk 86'), Kobylanski (c) (Otto 72'), Bär - Abdullahi (Proschwitz 80')
Unused subs: Dornebusch, May, Kupusovic, Klaß
Out: Bürger (foot), Heiland (muscular), Kessel (shoulder), Kijewski (knee)
Coach: Daniel Meyer
Dortmund: Hitz - Morey (Meunier 83'), Hummels (c) (Akanji 46'), Zagadou, Guerreiro - Bellingham (Witsel 76'), Delaney - Sancho, Brandt (Reus 63'), Reyna (Hazard 83') - Tigges
Unused subs: Bürki, Schulz, Can, Piszczek,
Out: Haaland (muscular), Moukoko (muscular), Schmelzer (knee)
Coach: Edin Terzic
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As it happened!
FULL TIME!
Dortmund book their place in the last 16. They were the better side throughout, without ever being at their best, and Hummel's first-half strike paved the way for the win, which Sancho secured in the closing stages.
90'+2 SANCHO SEALS THE DEAL!
It's route one stuff fro Dortmund, but they all count. Reus rolls his marker to collect a long ball out from the back from Hitz. He's on the left wing and spies Sancho starting to move in the centre. Reus plays it into his path, and Sancho rounds the goalkeeper before tapping into an empty net to book BVB's place in the next round.
90' FOUR MORE MINUTES
We're into the first of four minutes of stoppage time.
88' OVER FROM KROOS
Akanji is punished for a foul right on the edge of the Dortmund area, right of centre. Kroos takes it a curls a good effort towards the top corner, but Hitz has his angles covered and it goes over the bar.
86' FINAL SUB
The home side make their final change, with Schwenk taking to the field in place of Kaufmann.
85' DORTMUND MUST MAKE IT 2-0... BUT NO!
Tigges has a clear run at goal after a mistake from a Braunschweig defender. He only has the goalkeeper to beat and has Reus arriving in the box to his left, but opts to shoot. Fejzic reads his intentions though, and makes a good save.
83' DOUBLE CHANGE FOR BVB
Hazard and Meunier replace Reyna and Morey.
80' TWO MORE BRAUNSCHWEIG SUBS
On come Kroos and Proschwitz for Ben Balla and Abdullahi.
79' DORTMUND GO CLOSE
Sancho whips in an inviting cross from the right that zips across the face of goal. Both Reus and Tigges stretch to get on the end of it, but it's just too strong for either of them.
76' WITSEL ON
The experienced Belgian takes the place of Bellingham in central midfield for Dortmund.
72' DOUBLE CHANGE
Braunschweig bring on two substitutes: Otto and Ziegele for Kobylanski and Wiebe.
68' WIDE FROM REYNA
The USA international cuts in from the left wing, drives past two defenders and shoots from just outside the area. It's another good hit, but it skews wide of the post.
65' GREAT HIT FROM GUERREIRO
Sancho floats a corner to the edge of the box, where Guerreiro is waiting. He strikes it first time on the volley, but although he makes a clean connection the ball whizzes over the target.
64' WIDE FROM TIGGES
The BVB youngster gets his head on a cross from the right, but he can't direct it towards goal under pressure.
62' HERE COMES REUS
The Dortmund captain takes to the field as they look to put some daylight between the teams. Brandt is the player to make way.
58' WIDE FROM GUERREIRO
Dortmund respond straight away and Guerreiro strikes a lay-off on the edge of the area, but his low drive is deflected wide for a corner.
56' BÄR HITS THE BAR!
So close to an equaliser for Braunschweig as Bär runs onto a ball into the box, left of centre. He holds of Morey and fires a left-footed effort at goal. Hitz is beaten, but the ball cannons off the crossbar and bounces clear.
55' SANCHO LOOKING FOR THE OPENING
The England international dinks a clever pass over the defence and into the run of Tigges, but Fejzic is alert to the danger and smothers the ball.
51' JUST WIDE FROM BRANDT
Bellingham rolls the ball into Brandt's path, but his shot from 16 yards goes narrowly wide of the right-hand post.
48' FEJZIC KEEPS BRAUNSCHWEIG IN IT
Dortmund have started the second half with greater purpose and go close to adding a second goal as Bellingham gets on the end of Sancho's through-ball into the box, but his shot on the turn is well saved by the Braunschweig goalkeeper.
46' SECOND HALF!
We're under way again. Dortmund have made one change at the break, with Akanji coming on for Hummels in defence.
HALF-TIME!
Dortmund continue probe down the wings, but Braunschweig are defending deep and in numbers, making life difficult for them. The half-time whistle blows, giving them time to regroup.
41' BVB ON TOP
The away side have had six shots on goal to Braunschweig's one, completed 316 passes to the home team's 160, and have had 66 per cent of possession so far. All in all, a deserved lead.
37' DORTMUND PLUGGING AWAY
BVB are struggling to get behind Braunschweig for the most part, but they're making them do a lot of running as they chase for the ball. Dortmund have scored the vast majority of their goals this season in the second half of their matches for a reason...
34' BELLINGHAM HITS THE POST!
Guerreiro delivers a free-kick from the left, from a similar position Dortmund scored from earlier. It bounces through to Bellingham, who flicks the ball over his marker's head, spins around the other side and hits a brilliant volley at goal. The England international hits it with venom, but it crashes off the outside of the near post and out for a goal kick.
30' OVER FROM DELANEY
A nice, flowing move from Dortmund for the first time all game really. The ball is worked out to Guerreiro on the left, and Bellingham nudges his cross back to Delaney, arriving on the edge of the box. The Dane smashes a shot at goal, but it's high and wide and no trouble for Fejzic.
25' FIRST REAL BRAUNSCHWEIG CHANCE
Kobylanski threads a lovely ball out to the left to Schlüter, whose cross into the middle deflects off the leg of Bär as it zips across goal. Hitz pounces off his line to smother it just before a Braunschweig player can get there at the back post, though.
22' BRANDT FIRES OVER!
Dortmund really should be 2-0 up here. Tigges does superbly with the press, forcing Fejzic into a mistake. He gets a toe on the goalkeeper's attempted clearance and the ball falls to Brandt, arriving on the edge of the area. He has the goal at his mercy, with Fejzic out of position, but he side-foots it over the bar!
20' EASY FOR FEJZIC
... Guerreiro floats it in, but it's too close to the Braunschweig goalkeeper, who comes off his line to collect.
19' DANGEROUS POSITION
Brandt is fouled just right of centre, about 35 yards from goal. Ben Bella is given a yellow card for the tackle, and Dortmund have a promising-looking set-piece...
16' OVER FROM TIGGES
A first meaningful involvement from the Dortmund debutant, who heads just over the bar from a corner.
12' DORTMUND TAKE THE LEAD!
Sancho whips a free-kick from the left into the box, looking for Delaney. His attempted volley doesn't quite come off as planned, but the ball falls kindly for Hummels to sweep over the line from close range.
10' MOREY DOES WELL
Braunschweig forward Abdullahi strides forward down the left with a purposeful run towards goal. He's a bulky, muscular figure, but Morey matches him for pace and does well to nick in front of him and clear the danger.
8' EBB AND FLOW
Both teams are trying to attack at pace but just can't quite stitch things together in the final third - that last quality pass has been missing so far.
6' BRAUNSCHWEIG STANDING FIRM
The Lions are looking pretty solid at the back and have started pressing Dortmund higher up the pitch. One such move leads to Brandt losing the ball, but Kaufmann's driven cross from the right is too strong for any of his teammates.
3' DORTMUND ON TOP
The visitors, playing in their snazzy white third strip, have settled into their rhythm quickly here and are keeping the ball from their hosts. Sancho has been involved a lot down the right early doors, but no sniffs of goal just yet.
1' KICK-OFF!
Hosts Braunschweig get the ball rolling. Here we go!
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Dortmund and Braunschweig share an even with 15 wins apiece and 10 draws in their 40 meetings to date, including two victories apiece in the DFB Cup.
BVB won both of the most recent encounters by a 2-1 scoreline, in the 2013/14 Bundesliga campaign.
TEAM NEWS
Dortmund interim coach Edin Terzic has made no fewer than seven changes to the side that slipped to a 2-1 defeat against Union Berlin on Friday.
Hitz plays in goal, with Bürki dropping to the bench, while Morey, Zagadou, Delaney, Bellingham and Brandt all start, with Meunier, Akanji, Witsel, Can and Reus among the substitutes.
Haaland remains sidelined through injury, while Moukoko picked up a knock against Union so is absent here, meaning BVB U23 captain and striker Steffen Tigges is given a first taste of life with the pros.
HELLO AND WELCOME!
Thank you for joining us for live coverage of Dortmund's DFB Cup second-round clash with Braunschweig. We'll keep you updated throughout!
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