Bellingham and Hummels stunners as Dortmund sink Bielefeld

Arminia Bielefeld 1-3 Borussia Dortmund
Goals: 0-1 Can (pen. 31'), 0-2 Hummels (45'), 0-3 Bellingham (assist: Reus) 72', 1-3 Klos (pen.) 87'

Dortmund came into the game without top scorer Erling Haaland, who has been sidelined for a couple of weeks with injury, while Raphael Guerreiro, Gio Reyna, Thomas Meunier and Mo Dahoud were also among the team's absentees. As such, Bielefeld perhaps sensed a chance to pull off a surprise result and they began well, defending compactly and going aggressively into the challenges. The approach produced the game's first two best openings, first for Alexander Hack, whose shot on the turn was well saved by Gregor Kobel, before Anni Serra robbed Marin Pongracic of the ball and bore down on goal, only for Kobel to get the better of him, too. They proved costly misses, as Emre Can soon put BVB in front, converting from the penalty spot after Donyell Malen had been fouled, while Hummels gave his side a two-goal cushion with a sublime volley from the edge of the box on the stroke of half-time.

Encouraged by their first-half performance, Bielefeld again tried to put Dortmund under pressure as they sought a way back into the match. Veteran forward Fabian Klos tested Marwin Hitz, who had replaced Kobel in Dortmund’s goal, while Bundesliga debutant and fellow substitute Guilherme Ramos almost pulled a goal back within moments of entering the pitch but headed wide from a corner. Patrick Wimmer then drew a fine reflex save from Hitz as Marco Rose’s side struggled to make any kind of attacking impact, but, as in the first 45 minutes, Bielefeld’s lack of a cutting edge would come back to haunt them. There appeared to be little danger when Marco Reus collected a high ball on the left-hand edge of the box and played it back to Bellingham. The 18-year-old had other ideas, though, and dribbled past three defenders before executing a sublime chip over Stefan Ortega to put his side 3-0 up and effectively seal the victory. Klos pulled a goal back from the penalty spot late on after Hummels had fouled Wimmer, but the result was never in doubt as Dortmund returned home with all three points.

• Can scored his first goal of the season with the first penalty he has ever taken in Germany's top flight.
• Hummels' strike was also his first of 2021/22 and means he has now found the net in each of the last 14 consecutive Bundesliga campaigns.
• It was Hummels' 29th league goal overall, and just his second from outside the box.
• German-American defender Lennard Maloney made his Bundesliga debut as a late substitute.
• Hitz made his first competitive outing of the season.
• Bellingham scored his second Bundesliga goal of 2021/22. He only managed one in 29 outings last term.

Watch: Rose hails Hummels and Bellingham

Bielefeld: Ortega - Brunner (Ramos 46'), Pieper, Nilsson, Laursen (Czyborra 74') - Fernandes (Wimmer 64'), Prietl (c), Kunze, Schöpf - Serra (Klos 46'), Hack (Krüger 74')
Unused subs: Schulz, Lasme, Okugawa, Andrade
Out: de Medina (knock), Kapino (ill)
Coach: Frank Kramer 

Dortmund: Kobel (Hitz 46') - Pongracic, Akanji, Hummels (Maloney 88'), Can (Witsel 76') - Wolf, Bellingham, Brandt (Reinier 76') - Reus (c) - Hazard, Malen (Tigges 66')
Unused subs: Passlack, Knauff, Papadopoulos
Out: Dahoud (knee), Guerreiro (muscular), Haaland (hip), Morey (knee), Moukoko (muscular), Meunier (toe), Reyna (thigh), Schmelzer (knee),
Coach: Marco Rose