Dortmund beat Union to hold on to fourth
Berlin, Germany - Borussia Dortmund scored in each half through Karim Adeyemi and Ian Maatsen to battle past Union Berlin 2-0 on Saturday and remain fourth in the Bundesliga.
Their first win in four games in all competitions lifted them to 44 points, six behind thirdplaced VFB Stuttgart, winners 32 at VFL Wolfsburg. RB Leipzig are fifth on 43 after their 4-1 victory over VFL Bochum.
It also lifted some of the pressure on coach Edin Terzic, who has been criticised for the team’s poor recent form. Dortmund host PSV Eindhoven in their
Champions League last 16 second leg on March 13.
“We were a bit sleepy in the first 20 or 30 minutes,” scorer Adeyemi said. “After that we did it well. We played a solid game even though we are not completely satisfied.”
Dortmund, missing suspended forward Donyell Malen, had two golden chances before Adeyemi picked up the ball on the edge of the box, cut inside and whipped in a fierce shot that went in off the crossbar to give his side a 41st-minute lead.
It was the first goal of the season for the Germany international, who has struggled with injuries and a dip in form in recent months.
Union should have levelled in the 56th but Dortmund keeper Alexander Meyer palmed a point-blank Kevin Volland shot wide and the visitors made sure of the three points with Maatsen’s 90th- minute goal.
Stuttgart win
Serhou Guirassy struck twice to guide VFB Stuttgart to a 3-2 victory at VFL Wolfsburg on Saturday, tightening their hold on third spot in the Bundesliga standings and closing in on Bayern Munich in second.
Guirassy, who now has 20 league goals this season, put the visitors in front with a glancing header in the 14th minute.
The Wolves equalised five minutes after halftime with Joakim Maehle beating the offside line and finding enough space in the box to curl a shot past goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel.
Maehle, however, was judged to have brought down Enzo Millot in the box and Guirassy stepped up to convert the spot kick for a renewed lead in the 54th minute.