Dortmund 2-1 Elversberg: Nmecha's two long-range strikes keep BVB in touch with Bayern

Without the injured Serhou Guirassy, Niko Kovač rotated his side: Joane Gadou, Carney Chukwuemeka and Konstantinos Karetsas came into the starting XI, while Ramy Bensebaïni and Julian Ryerson took their places on the bench. The plan was quickly disrupted: Chukwuemeka made way for Maximilian Beier as early as the 34th minute. Three minutes later, Elversberg were forced into a change of their own, replacing defender Lukas Pinckert with Florian Le Joncour.

The first half produced nothing on the scoreboard. Fábio Silva tried his luck from distance, Nicolas Kristof pushed away a Nmecha shot and the Portuguese missed the rebound. At the other end, Lukas Petkov made Gregor Kobel work twice, the second time in stoppage time. The Saarland side were far from overrun.

The game came to life after the break. Bellingham narrowly missed the target, Karetsas forced Kristof into a save, and then everything changed in the 55th minute. Fábio Silva controlled a ball played in from the opposite flank, shielded it and laid it back for Nmecha, who placed a low shot into the corner. In the 71st minute, Nmecha doubled the lead with a curling effort from outside the box, at the end of a move started by Beier.

Elversberg did not give up. Introduced in the 78th minute, Futkeu pulled one back three minutes later: from a corner, Le Joncour headed the ball on and the striker fired an acrobatic overhead kick beyond Kobel's reach. The newly promoted side pushed to the end but could not beat the Swiss goalkeeper a second time. Dortmund win 2-1.

A closer game than the score suggests

Possession was shared almost equally, 51% for Dortmund and 49% for Elversberg. BVB had 19 shots to 16, but it was the promoted side who hit the target more, with 7 efforts to 6. Hence Kobel's six saves, against four for Kristof. Expected goals lean slightly towards the Black and Yellow, 1.61 to 1.31, as they had 11 shots inside the box to 6 for Elversberg, who mostly shot from distance, ten times. Dortmund nonetheless scored both their goals from outside the area. Nmecha himself took six shots, three of them on target.

Two long-range strikes and an overhead kick

The first goal came from Fábio Silva's hold-up play with his back to goal and a clean lay-off for Nmecha. The second owes almost nothing to build-up play: a curling shot from outside the box that ended up beyond Kristof's reach. Elversberg's goal, meanwhile, came from a set piece, headed on by Le Joncour and finished with a scissor kick by Futkeu, three minutes after coming on.

Dortmund win without dominating

SNA analysis: Dortmund did not suffocate this promoted side, they beat them thanks to one man's right foot. Without Guirassy, their designated goalscorer, BVB circled the box a lot without finding a way through in the first half. It took Nmecha trying his luck from distance to unlock a game in which Elversberg had more shots on target.

Kobel also made a difference. His six saves spared BVB from conceding earlier, and then an equaliser after Futkeu's goal. Elversberg leave without a point but with plenty to build on: Florian Keidel played five key passes and made six tackles, and Petkov won ten duels out of sixteen. The evening was also a tense one on the Saarland bench, with coach Vincent Wagner booked for dissent in the 59th minute.

Beier in the game, Futkeu on the scoresheet

The early change in the 34th minute helped Dortmund: Beier, who came on for Chukwuemeka, played a part in the move for the 2-0. In the 67th minute, Kovač sent on Ryerson and Bensebaïni for Karetsas and Gadou, then Ethan Nwaneri and Marcel Sabitzer in the 86th to see out the game. For Elversberg, Wagner brought on Cole Campbell in the 67th minute, then Nicholas Mickelson, Futkeu and Adam in the 78th. Campbell completed five dribbles out of seven in 23 minutes, and Futkeu scored with his only shot.

Bensebaïni on the bench to start, Guirassy absent

Algerian Ramy Bensebaïni started on the Dortmund bench, with Kovač preferring Gadou. Introduced in the 67th minute, the Algeria international played 23 minutes: ten passes, one shot off target, two duels won out of three and one tackle. He was on the pitch when Elversberg pulled one back from a corner. SNA rating: 6.5.

The other African thread of the afternoon is an absence. Guinea's Serhou Guirassy, the club's top scorer this season, was injured and could not hold his place up front, a few days after the win over Real Betis in the Champions League. Dortmund won without him, but scoring only from distance.

Dortmund unbeaten, Elversberg in the top half

After nine matchdays, Dortmund have 21 points, the same as Bayern Munich, but remain second, eleven goals adrift of the leader on goal difference. Elversberg, seventh with 13 points, lose after their big win over Mainz (4-1). The Bundesliga now pauses for the international break.

SNA man of the match: Felix Nmecha

Two goals, both from distance, six shots with three on target, four dribbles completed out of six and nine duels won out of fourteen. The German midfielder unlocked a tight game and also defended, with two tackles and an interception, despite a yellow card in the 22nd minute. SNA rating: 9.5.