Dortmund hit Leipzig for four to win first Pokal since 2017

Dortmund hit Leipzig for four to win first Pokal since 2017

Borussia Dortmund have become DFB-Pokal winners after an emphatic 4-1 win over RB Leipzig in the final at Berlin’s Olympiastadion.

Braces for Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland were enough for BVB to win a first major honour since 2017, when Thomas Tuchel led the club to a fourth Pokal title.

That number now stands at five, as Dani Olmo’s late goal proved to be nothing more than a consolation for Leipzig.

Road to Berlin

First Round

MSV Duisburg 0-5 Borussia Dortmund

In the first round of the tournament and the first match of the 2020/21 season, Lucien Favre’s Black and Yellows put third division side Duisburg to the sword in front of 300 people at the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena.

Jadon Sancho opened the scoring from the penalty spot, before 17-year-old Jude Bellingham doubled the visitors’ advantage with a debut goal.

A terrific free-kick goal from Thorgan Hazard and another by Giovanni Reyna strengthened that lead, before Marco Reus marked his return from a long-term injury with a goal off the bench to complete the rout.

Second Round

Eintracht Braunschweig 0-2 Borussia Dortmund

After that Dortmund travelled to play behind closed doors at second tier Braunschweig just before Christmas, with Edin Terzic in the dugout following the dismissal of Favre.

A game of many chances yielded three less goals, but both went in BVB’s favour; the first through Mats Hummels, who was later forced off through injury, and the second from Sancho at the death.

Round of 16

Borussia Dortmund 3-2 SC Paderborn (aet.)

In February, the ‘Schwarzgelbe’ played their first home tie of their Pokal campaign, facing another side from the second division Paderborn at Signal Iduna Park.

Goals from Emre Can and Sancho had the hosts two goals in front with 11 minutes to go, but two goals from the visitors, including a penalty with the last kick in the seventh minute of added time, took the game to extra time.

Erling Haaland saved Dortmund’s blushes, racing in behind to score a trademark goal, to book his side’s place in the last eight.

Quarter-Finals

Borussia Mönchengladbach 0-1 Borussia Dortmund

Marco Rose’s Gladbach awaited Edin Terzic’s in-form side in the quarter-finals.

The first Bundesliga opponent of the tournament for BVB proved a tough test.

Haaland had a goal disallowed for what seemed a very harsh foul decision on Ramy Bensebaini, but Sancho scored again in the second half on the counter-attack to get his side over the line and into the semis.

Semi-Finals

Borussia Dortmund 5-0 Holstein Kiel

As RB Leipzig travelled to Werder Bremen, Dortmund welcomed Holstein Kiel to North Rhine-Westphalia, a high-flying 2. Bundesliga side that had been the competition’s surprise package this season.

The visitors proved no match for an electric BVB, who scored all five of their goals in the first half; Giovanni Reyna bagged his first brace for the club, while Reus, Bellingham and Thorgan Hazard were on the scoresheet again, as they booked their ticket to Berlin.

The trusted 22

Borussia Dortmund:

1. Roman Bürki

26. Lukasz Piszczek

16. Manuel Akanji

15. Mats Hummels

13. Raphael Guerreiro

22. Jude Bellingham

23. Emre Can

8. Mahmoud Dahoud

7. Jadon Sancho

9. Erling Haaland

11. Marco Reus (C)

RB Leipzig:

1. Peter Gulacsi

16. Lukas Klostermann

5. Dayot Upamecano

23. Marcel Halstenberg

22. Nordi Mukiele

25. Dani Olmo

44. Kevin Kampl

7. Marcel Sabitzer (C)

8. Amadou Haidara

19. Alexander Sørloth

11. Hwang Hee-chan

Key Events

Dortmund came into this game with a few absentees; Mateu Morey and Axel Witsel missed out, while Marwin Hitz was forced off in the previous match through injury, meaning Roman Bürki, who had lost his place in the side and the trust of his manager, came in between the sticks.

That previous match also came against ‘die Roten Bullen’, who came from two goals behind to bring the scores back to 2-2 at Signal Iduna Park.

However, a late Jadon Sancho goal rescued the three points for the hosts, completing his brace.

Erling Haaland didn’t even make the bench for that game, but he was given a surprise inclusion in the starting 11 for the grand finale.

He would be involved early on, receiving the ball from Marco Reus deep in the Leipzig half before offloading to Mahmoud Dahoud.

The German played the ball to Sancho, who broke the deadlock just five minutes in with an expertly-placed curling finish into the far corner.

Just over 20 minutes later, Reus found Haaland again after Hee-chan Hang played a loose ball near the halfway line.

The Norwegian burst into the box with enormous power, brushing Dayot Upamecano to the ground before opening up his body for a delightful finish beyond Peter Gulacsi.

An energetic Dortmund side playing with great intent was dealing real damage to their opponents.

In first half stoppage time, Haaland was involved again, holding up the ball before being fouled by Upamecano, who couldn’t deal with the striker.

The referee Felix Brych played advantage, allowing Dahoud to send Reus in behind, catching out the sleeping defence of Julian Nagelsmann’s side.

Captain of the Black and Yellows, Reus squared the ball on a plate for Sancho, who showcased incredible composure to sit down a defender before tapping into an empty net.

The young English winger, who continues to be heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, was proving to be Leipzig’s worst nightmare yet again.

Edin Terzic’s side were three goals in front at the half-time break.

Second half

Needing at least three goals to win the trophy, the introduction of Christopher Nkunku and Yussuf Poulsen off the bench for the second half saw the side from the east improve, creating a considerable number of chances to test Bürki.

However, they wouldn’t convert one until there was 19 minutes to play (71’), when Raphael Guerrero’s clearance of a Halstenberg cross only fell back to ‘die Rotten Bullen’.

Nkunku laid the ball off to Dani Olmo, who fiercely lashed the ball into the top corner from the edge of the area.

But Dortmund sought a fourth to put the game well and truly beyond doubt, and with just two minutes of regular time remaining (88’), Sancho led another BVB charge on the counter-attack.

This time he found Haaland just inside the box; the former RB Salzburg man slipped as he took the shot, but in doing so, his effort deflected off his other foot, fooling Gulacsi in the Leipzig goal, killing the game for good.

How BVB became ‘Pokalsieger’

It was a stunning performance from Dortmund in the final. That’s now six wins in a row for Terzic’s side and that level of performance was something seen throughout their whole Pokal journey.

Though their first win came under Favre, Terzic did an excellent job in restoring belief in the side; he utilised their youth and star quality to perfection.

That belief led to a top display full of confidence and offensive efficiency from the Black and Yellows in the final – something Leipzig couldn’t cope with.

Erling Haaland was key along the way, while Dahoud, Bellingham and Reus were all very effective, but particular credit must go to Jadon Sancho, who netted six times while claiming five assists on the way.

He was the star of the show in a great team display, proving his talent and proving why he is being chased by Manchester United. The club will be left with a huge void to fill if that transfer goes through.

This was a historic day for Borussia Dortmund, and one that will live long in the memory of the Yellow Wall.

Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal

Winners (5): 2021, 2017, 2012, 1989, 1965

Runners-Up (5): 2016, 2015, 2014, 2008, 1963

Borussia Dortmund DFB-Pokal winners 2017
BVB’s 2017 Pokal winners

(Featured Image: Borussia Dortmund)

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