Ansgar Knauff nets winner as Borussia Dortmund earn stunning comeback win over Stuttgart
By Tushar Bahl
Ansgar Knauff scored his first professional goal and Jude Bellingham scored his first Bundesliga goal as Borussia Dortmund earned an impressive come from behind 3-2 win over VfB Stuttgart.
It was a tale of two halves, perfectly encapsulated by Borussia Dortmund’s response to Stuttgart’s second half equaliser. The Black and Yellows were dire and lethargic in the first half, and their body language looked like that of a team destined for relegation. But the second half comeback showed that there is still plenty of fight left in Edin Terzic’s side, as they look to salvage their season.
Stuttgart took the lead in the 17th minute through a looping header from in-form striker Sasa Kalajdzic, which caught Marwin Hitz off guard. Despite dominating possession, Dortmund did not look like scoring in the first half and went into the break a goal behind.
But a completely different Borussia Dortmund team turned up after the break. And they found their equaliser in just the 47th minute, with Jude Bellingham netting his first ever Bundesliga goal. The England international placed the ball into the bottom corner after a pass from Gio Reyna. And the goal gave Dortmund the momentum they needed to turn the game around.
Marco Reus then completed the comeback just five minutes later after a clever dummy from Erling Haaland. The goal, Reus’ first in the Bundesliga in 2021, helped Borussia Dortmund take a well deserved lead in the 52nd minute.
Borussia Dortmund looked very comfortable up until the 72nd minute, when Mateu Morey cheaply gave the ball away. Daniel Didavi made it 2-2 at the end a menacing Stuttgart counter-attack, as the Dortmund defence was caught napping.
dark. Next. Borussia Dortmund player ratings from win over Stuttgart
But Borussia Dortmund weren’t to be denied the three points, and Ansgar Knauff stepped up to score a stunning winner from the edge of the box in the 80th minute. Knauff’s first goal in professional football sealed a vital 3-2 win for Edin Terzic’s side ahead of the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal against Manchester City.