Brandt double fires Dortmund past Gladbach

Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach
Goals: 0-1 Thuram (71'), 1-1 Brandt (77'), 2-1 Brandt (80')

Marco Reus settled the season’s first instalment of the Battle of the Borussias in the Bundesliga a fortnight ago, but the Dortmund captain missed out against his former club through injury. That didn’t stop BVB from controlling possession for long periods in a keenly contested first half, though clear-cut opportunities were at a real premium. Jadon Sancho’s deflected effort was as close as the hosts came to breaking the deadlock, while Thuram drew a point-blank save from Marwin Hitz at the other end.

Dortmund emerged from the tunnel with renewed purpose as Yann Sommer was made to work by Julian Weigl and Thorgan Hazard. Axel Witsel sent a speculative effort over from range, before Thuram struck from close range, against the run of play, to give Gladbach a lead that lasted barely five minutes. After Sommer thwarted Sancho, Brandt fired in with the aid of a deflection to level with Dortmund’s next attack. The Germany international met Hazard’s fine pass three minutes later to complete the comeback and book Dortmund’s place in the round of 16.

• Dortmund are four-time DFB Cup winners and five-time beaten finalists. The Black-Yellows went out to Werder Bremen in last season's quarter-finals.
• Brandt scored his second and third goals for Dortmund since joining the club from Bayer Leverkusen in summer 2019.
• Hazard has six assists in all competitions this season - as many as Sancho.
• Dortmund coach Favre oversaw 189 competitive matches in charge of Gladbach between February 2011 and September 2011. He took the Foals to the semi-finals of the DFB Cup in 2011/12.
• Gladbach had won both of their previous cup encounters with Dortmund, both in the second round (6-1 in 1986/87 and 2-1 in 2003/04), but lost 5-0 at home to Bayer Leverkusen at the same stage last season.
• Thuram marked his competitive debut for Gladbach with the winning goal against Sandhausen in the first round. The Frenchman has scored six times in 14 first-team appearances since.

Dortmund: Hitz – Piszczek (c), Akanji, Zagadou, Schulz (Götze 78') – Witsel, Weigl – Sancho, Brandt, Hazard – Bruun Larsen (Hakimi 63')
Unused subs: Oelschlagel, Balerdi, Morey, Guerreiro, Dahoud, Delaney, Alcacer
Out: Bürki (ill), Hummels (ill), Reus (muscular), Schmelzer (groin)
Coach: Lucien Favre

Gladbach: Sommer - Beyer, Zakaria, Elvedi - Lainer, Hoffman (Makridis 87'), Benes (Herrmann 82'), Bensebaini (Wendt 30') - Neuhaus - Thuram,  Stindl (c)
Unused subs: Grün, Strobly, Traore, Ginter, Noß, Poulsen
Out: Plea (thigh), Raffael (match fitness), Strobl (knee)
Coach: Marco Rose

90+3' FULL TIME

That is that. A stunning comeback courtesy of two Brandt goals in three minutes means it's Dortmund that will be in the hat for the third round after Thuram had given Gladbach the lead. A thrilling end to the game there. Hope you enjoyed it and thanks to everyone for joining us.

90+1' ROSE SENT OFF

Some late drama as the Gladbach boss is sent to the stands. Meanwhile, we have three minutes added on.

86' ANY WAY BACK FOR GLADBACH?

That rapid Brandt brace has somewhat knocked the stuffing out of the Bundesliga leaders. They're pushing for an equaliser but not having much luck breaking down Dortmund since that quickfire double.

80' GOAL! BRANDT!

Just like that, Dortmund are in front and this game is turned on its head. Brandt has his second with a lovely guided header past Sommer, with Hazard providing the cross and Götze - just on as a substitute - playing a role in the build up.

77' GOAL! BRANDT!

This game has burst into life. Sancho is fed by Brandt and should score the equaliser but fires straight at Sommer but Dortmund recover the ball and Brandt fires a deflected effort beyond the Gladbach keeper to level.

71' GOAL! THURAM!

That pressure has told and it's that man Thuram who's put his side in front. Wendt's cross from the left is pinpoint, finding Thuram's head six yards out and the French forward makes no mistake to head home.

68' GLADBACH PRESSURE BUILDING

The Foals have three successive corners but they can't create anything from them. A good spell of pressure though. In the meantime, Schulz becomes the first man booked.

63' FIRST DORTMUND CHANGE

Hakimi is on for Bruun Larsen, with Hazard moving through the middle and Hakimi being deployed from the left wing.

62' IMPRESSIVE ZAKARIA

It's worth noting just how well Zakaria has played tonight. Usually anchoring the Gladbach midfield, providing bite and energy in the centre of the pitch, he has been superb in the middle of three defenders. Very good.

57' A LOOK AT THE BENCHES

You have to feel that both coaches will be looking alongside the dugouts soon as they look to secure their passage into the third round. Dortmund have a very strong looking bench with Hakimi, Guerreiro, Alcacer and Götze in particular some stellar attacking options in reserve. Meanwhile, Herrmann and Traore probably provide the visitor's greatest threat going forward on the bench.

52' SANCHO STRAIGHT AT SOMMER

Sancho cuts inside from the left, curls to the far corner but it's too close to Sommer and it's an easy collect for the Gladbach keeper.

50' NORMAL SERVICE RESUMED

The pattern of play has very much taken the same shape of the first half so far with Dortmund enjoying the bulk of possession. They do seem to have a little more urgency about them though. Gladbach, meanwhile, are setting the trap and waiting to pounce.

46' BACK UNDERWAY

Right then, here we go...

TALE SO FAR

Dortmund have had pretty much all of the ball in that first half but it's Gladbach who have had the better chances. Neuhaus and Thuram both had good chances to take the lead but Hitz as at his best to deny them.

MUST BE DECIDED TONIGHT

A reminder that this tie will have an outcome this evening. If we're level after 90 minutes then we'll have an additional 30 minutes of extra-time and if neither side can still be separated by then, it'll be penalties. With Bundesliga games to come at the weekend and both teams in European action the following midweek, they could do with settling this inside 90 minutes.

45' HALF TIME

We're level at the break.

43' WHO WILL BLINK FIRST

There is nothing to separate these sides so far in what has been an enthralling first half so far. It could take a lapse in concentration or something spectacular to decide this game.

38' GREAT SAVE HITZ

The Dortmund stopper keeps Thuram out from just six yards with a great reflex save. It's an awkward one for Thuram but he thighs the ball goalward and Hitz reacts expertly to keep the Frenchman out.

30' BENSEBAINI REPLACED BY WENDT

In all that excitement, Bensebaini came off for Gladbach. He had gone down feeling his thigh and in his place comes Wendt at left wing-back. Hopefully, that's only precautionary and not too bad an injury.

30' YOU LUCKY BOY...

Gladbach nearly have the lead as Hitz overhits his first touch and Neuhaus collects it inside the BVB 18-yard box. Neuhaus looks to go round the Dortmund keeper who recovers to save at the Gladbach man's feet.

29' HAZARD OFF THE BAR

A swerving, dipping effort from Hazard thunders off the bar. A great strike from the former Gladbach man who is still in search of his first Dortmund goal.

25' SANCHO FIRES WIDE

Hazard picks out his English teammate with a fine ball from left to right but Sancho can only fire wide. This is very much in the balance here but both teams are beginning to find little pockets of space to attack. It's starting to open up a bit.

21' BENSEBAINI MAGIC

This is gorgeous from Bensebaini who leaves Piszczek for dead with a sumptuous clip over the Dortmund captain's head while on the run. He then drills the ball across the six-yard box but no-one in a white shirt can get on the end of it.

19' DORTMUND GO LONG

The hosts are starting to threaten now and a big lump up field finds its way into Brandt's path, who releases Bruun Larsen with a sublime through ball. Hazard eventually has the shot but it's deflected wide.

17' DANGEROUS SCHULZ

What a cross this is. Schulz gets down the left and swings an inviting ball into the box but it's superbly defended by Gladbach.

10' WAITING ON A CHANCE

We're yet to see either side carve out a real opening. This is very much a battle of midfield territory thus far, with Gladbach, in particular, flooding the midfield having moved to that three at the back.

6' FIRST FORAYS FORWARD

Bruun Larsen is flagged offside when through on goal at one end and Thuram almost instantly nearly gets on the end of Bensebaini's cross at the other. Both teams warming up a little now.

4' ROSE WITH A SURPRISE

It looks like Zakaria is playing at centre half to start with here, alongside Beyer and Elvedi. That then leaves Lainer and Bensebaini to operate a little further forward as wing-backs.

1' AND WE'RE OFF...

Here we go. Who will make it through to the next round of the DFB-Cup? Let's find out, shall we?

A SPECIAL LOOKING NIGHT

Is there a more awe inspiring sight in football than the Yellow Wall? They've been bouncing during the warm-ups and then serenade us with that famous rendition of "You'll never walk alone". Stunning.

TWICE IN 11 DAYS

These sides only met 11 days ago in the Bundesliga as Dortmund ran out 1-0 winners over Gladbach at this very same stadium. Reus grabbed the winner that day against his old club but a muscular strain keeps him out today.

RECORD CROWD EXPECTED

Dortmund this week announced that 79,000 of the 81,365 available tickets have already been sold, meaning we are set for a record DFB-Cup third round crowd. The current record of 79,037 was also set at the Signal Iduna Park back on October 26, 2016 when Union Berlin came to town. The overall DFB-Cup attendance record is also held by BVB from when Carl Zeiss Jena came to town in March, 2008. That figure of 80,708 is also in sight tonight and one to keep an eye on. What's guaranteed is that this will be raucous.

FOALS FLYING HIGH

Gladbach have been superb since the arrival of Marco Rose in the summer, moving top of the Bundesliga table with six wins, a draw and two defeats from nine league games so far. They are one point ahead of Bayern Munich in second, with Dortmund three points back in fifth.

BATTLE OF THE BORUSSIAS

Two Borussias, one place in the DFB-Cup third round at stake. For the hosts, they are in pursuit of a first domestic cup triumph since beating Eintracht Frankfurt to the trophy in 2016/17. As for Gladbach, they haven’t won the DFB-Cup since 1995.

GLADBACH TEAM

Gladbach: Sommer - Beyer, Zakaria, Elvedi - Lainer, Hoffman, Benes, Bensebaini - Neuhaus - Thuram,  Stindl (c)
Subs: Grün, Strobly, Herrmann, Traore, Wendt, Ginter, Noß, Poulsen, Makridis

DORTMUND TEAM

Dortmund: Hitz – Piszczek (c), Akanji, Zagadou, Schulz – Witsel, Weigl – Sancho, Brandt, Hazard – Bruun Larsen
Subs: Oelschlagel, Hakimi, Balerdi, Morey, Guerreiro, Dahoud, Delaney, Alcacer, Götze

TEAM NEWS

The teams are in and big news at both ends of the pitch as Marco Reus misses out against his old club and Gladbach club captain Lars Stindl makes his first start of the season.