Julian Brandt’s second-half goal earned Borussia Dortmund a 1-0 home win over a disciplined Werder Bremen Friday night that sent them provisionally atop of the Bundesliga.
Brandt dashed into the penalty area and gathered a precise pass from Emre Can, before gracefully chipping the ball over Werder’s goalkeeper Michael Zetterer to score in the 67th minute.
Dortmund have 20 points after eight matches, one point ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, who face VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday. Werder are 14th with six points.
The hosts were on top for most of the match but were frustrated by a resolute Werder defence, with Zetterer making several crucial saves.
Dortmund’s Donyell Malen had a shot saved by Zetterer in the opening minutes, which set the tone for the match.
Around the half-hour mark, Marco Reus went close to giving the hosts a well-deserved lead, but his attempt from an acute angle narrowly missed.
After Dortmund went ahead, the match opened up but there were no clear-cut chances, allowing the home side to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
“I have to say, it went pretty well today,” the 27-year-old Brandt, who celebrated his 300th Bundesliga match, told DAZN.
Dortmund visit Newcastle United in a vital Champions League group stage match on Wednesday.
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