Match Report: Late Donyell Malen winner fires Borussia Dortmund past Sturm Graz

Borussia Dortmund made it three wins out of four in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League thanks to an 86th minute winner from Donyel Malen.

In the end, just one goal is all Borussia Dortmund needed to claim the three points against a resilient Sturm Graz side. And Donyell Malen came off the bench to make the decisive impact, scoring in the 86th minute to seal the win in what was a cagey contest.

Donyell Malen comes up clutch as Borussia Dortmund beat Sturm Graz

The Black and Yellows dominated proceedings and created the better chances. Despite struggling to break down the Austrian side for much of the game, they managed to find a way with Serhou Guirassy setting up Malen for the match-winning goal.

The Dutchman took his chance really well, finding the corner of the net with great precision inside the crowded box. Malen also played a key role in the build-up to the goal, winning the ball back high up the pitch, before being played clear by Guirassy.

It was certainly a hard-fought win for Borussia Dortmund, but one that puts them in a great position to qualify for the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League.

At the half-way stage of the league phase, BVB have three wins and one defeat. And with a trip to Dinamo Zagreb next up, Nuri Sahin's side will fancy their chances of continuing their fine run of form in the competition.

Borussia Dortmund can take a lot of positives from this game, especially with how they managed to find a way to get the win despite not being at their best. Having now won two games in a row, BVB will hope to end their struggles away from home this weekend when they travel to Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga.