VfL Wolfsburg 1-3 Borussia Dortmund: 10-man Dortmund hold on to claim first away victory of season

A rapid sequence of goals within five minutes propelled Borussia Dortmund to a 3-1 victory over Wolfsburg in the concluding Bundesliga match of 2024, marking Die Schwarzgelben's 16th triumph in their last 20 encounters against this opponent.

The visitors exerted significant pressure in the early moments, with Julian Brandt sending his shot over the bar after Maximilian Beier had deflected Donyell Malen’s cross.

Wolfsburg also had their chances, requiring a courageous header from Ramy Bensebaini to thwart Mohamed Amoura’s attempt at a bicycle kick. Nevertheless, Dortmund maintained the upper hand but failed to convert their opportunities, as both Brandt and Serhou Guirassy missed the target from favorable positions.

Dortmund became unstoppable once they secured the first goal, as Bensebaini’s corner found Malen unmarked, allowing the Dutchman to score on his first start in five matches across all competitions.

Brandt then skillfully passed the ball to Beier, who struck it in off the post with the outside of his boot. Beier subsequently assisted Brandt, who calmly placed the ball into the bottom corner, completing a remarkable three-goal surge in just five minutes.

At the other end, Mattias Svanberg’s header prompted an instinctive save from Gregor Kobel, yet Dortmund continued to dominate as they approached halftime.

In response, Ralph Hasenhüttl made an attacking double substitution at the start of the second half. Lukas Nmecha was played through within five minutes of his introduction but was outmaneuvered by Kobel.

Amoura squandered a chance by sending his shot over the crossbar, but Wolfsburg persisted and found their goal before the hour mark, with Denis Vavro rising to head in Maximilian Arnold’s corner delivery.

Dortmund's situation worsened when they were reduced to ten men after Pascal Groß fouled Nmecha as he advanced.

Pressure mounted as Kobel successfully deflected Arnold’s long-range venomous strike, allowing Dortmund to secure their inaugural away Bundesliga victory of the season on their seventh attempt. This triumph also marked the conclusion of their five-match winless streak across all competitions.

Additionally, the outcome resulted in Wolfsburg experiencing consecutive league losses for the first time since September, following an unbeaten run in their prior eight competitive matches.

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