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A moment of improvisation from Julian Brandt earned Borussia Dortmund a 1-0 win at struggling TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday, sending Edin Terzic’s side three points clear at the top of the Bundesliga standings.
Brandt scored in the 43rd minute after he was fouled wide on the left. Marco Reus swung in the resulting free kick and Brandt ducked under the ball at the near post, letting it bounce off his back and in past Oliver Baumann in the Hoffenheim goal.
Dortmund full-back Marius Wolf thought he had doubled the lead in the 56th minute when he powered an unstoppable shot past Baumann, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR check for a foul on Hoffenheim’s Ihlas Bebou in the build-up.
Dortmund’s eighth league win in a row moved them on to 46 points, three ahead of both second-placed Bayern Munich and third-placed Union Berlin, who play each other on Sunday.
✊ A U S W Ä R T S S I E G! ✊ pic.twitter.com/YmQkWFHzSj
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) February 25, 2023
Struggling Hoffenheim, who brought in Pellegrino Matarazzo as manager earlier this month after sacking Andre Breitenreiter, are 16th in the table on 19 points, in the relegation play-off place, after their fifth league defeat in a row.
Meanwhile, Timo Werner and Emil Forsberg notched up a goal and an assist apiece as RB Leipzig continued their push for a top-four finish by beating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 in a Bundesliga clash at the Red Bull Arena on Saturday.
Marco Rose’s Leipzig, who have won four of their last six league matches, provisionally move up to fourth in the standings on 42 points, one behind Bayern Munich and Union Berlin, who play each other on Sunday.
A stumbling Werner opened the scoring in the sixth minute, beating Frankfurt keeper Kevin Trapp with an off-balance effort after being played through on goal by Forsberg.
Werner returned the favour, turning provider and squaring the ball for Forsberg to tap in at the far post after 40 minutes as Leipzig went into the break with a 2-0 lead.
⏹ SCHLUSS! HEIMSIEG! 3 PUNKTE
Wir ringen die @Eintracht nieder und feiern einen sooo wichtigen Dreier in der #RedBullArena!
🔴⚪ 2:1 🔴⚫#RBLSGE | #Bundesliga pic.twitter.com/yWhREGtl9r
— RB Leipzig (@RBLeipzig) February 25, 2023
Frankfurt pulled back one goal in the second half when Djibril Sow raced on to a cutback from substitute Aurelio Buta before walloping an emphatic finish past Janis Blaswich in the 61st minute.
Leipzig introduced Christopher Nkunku on the hour mark, with the France international looking lively as he continues to ease back into action after recovering from a months-long injury layoff.
Frankfurt remained in sixth following a third defeat in their last four games in all competitions.
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