Mats Hummels, Jadon Sancho help Borussia Dortmund earn DFB Pokal round of 16 berth

Borussia Dortmund booked their place into the last 16 of the DFB Pokal with a 2-0 win over Eintracht Braunschweig thanks to goals from Mats Hummels and Jadon Sancho.

Edin Terzic made seven changes to the Borussia Dortmund side that lost to Union Berlin on Friday, with Julian Brandt, Mahmoud Dahoud and Dan-Axel Zagadou among those coming into the team. U-23s captain and striker Steffen Tigges was also named in the starting XI, as he made his professional debut for the Black and Yellows.

Borussia Dortmund got off to a fast start and took the lead in just the 12th minute. It was Mats Hummels who scored the opener. The centre-back swept home from close range after Thomas Delaney played Jadon Sancho’s free-kick into his path.

Steffen Tigges nearly made it 2-0 soon after, but he couldn’t put his header on target. Julian Brandt then fired an easy chance over the bar before Jude Bellingham hit the post, as Dortmund struggled to make their chances count and only had a one goal lead to show for their efforts going into the break.

Bellingham was denied by the Braunschweig goalkeeper as Borussia Dortmund continued to apply the pressure at the start of the second half. But as Dortmund looked to push forward in numbers, it allowed Braunschweig to hit them on the counter attack. Marcel Bär hit the crossbar on one such break, as the home side kept their more illustrious hosts in check.

Tigges, Guerreiro and Reyna all had half-chances to double Borussia Dortmund’s lead, but they had to wait until the 92nd minute to seal their spot in the DFB Pokal round of 16. And it was Jadon Sancho who made it 2-0 after getting on the end of a lovely pass from substitute Marco Reus. The Englishman rounded the keeper and found the net to ensure that Edin Terzic’s side ended 2020 with a win.

Borussia Dortmund now have a ten day winter break break, with the Bundesliga set to resume on January 02.