Borussia Dortmund beat Werder Bremen in the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday and reached the Round of 16 stage of the competition. Marcel Sabitzer was the unlikely hero of the side as the Austrian scored a stunning free-kick in the 93rd minute to seal a 3-2 win.
The BVB led 2-0 within the opening 20 minutes through Serhou Guirassy and Carney Chukwuemeka but Niclas Fullkrug came off the bench to score a second-half double and bring the River Islanders level.
Dortmund were handed a lifeline in the dying seconds of the match when Felix Nmecha won a free-kick from the edge of the box which Sabitzer curled in to send them through. Here are three things they got right in the match:
1) A fast start
Having gone 80 minutes without a goal last time out against Werder Bremen, it took Dortmund only six minutes here to break the deadlock as Serhou Guirassy fired home from close-range while Carney Chukwuemeka doubled their advantage another 11 minutes later as the BVB led 2-0 within 20 minutes of the match.
Dortmund's aggressive attacking style left Bremen in sixes and sevens whilst allowing them to dictate tempo early on. It took a good 33 minutes for the River Islanders to have their first meaningful opportunity of the match, underlining the intensity of BVB's opening spell.
2) Substitutions
Even as Dortmund went through the motions, one thing they have gotten consistently right is substitutions. Niko Kovac has now earned a reputation for making wise tactical changes late on which have turned the tide of a game, and Tuesday was no different.
Marcel Sabitzer came off the bench to score the winner from a sensational free-kick, continuing the club tradition of making an impact after being subbed in. It's arguably their biggest strength now. In fact, Dortmund have scored six goals and made seven assists through substitutes this season alone.
3) Building momentum ahead of Der Klassiker
It was crucial for Borussia Dortmund to win this game as it helps build momentum ahead of their daunting tip to Allianz Arena on Saturday where Bayern Munich await them in a crunch Bundesliga encounter. What makes it more exciting is that both teams are currently locked on the same number of points after eight games.
The late win over Bremen restores BVB's confidence and gives them the courage ahead of their showdown with the Bavarians. They are now on a three-game winning run in all competitions although each of their wins during this spell have been through just a one-goal margin.
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