Another win gives BVB Klassiker confidence
Borussia Dortmund kept the heat on Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich ahead of Der Klassiker with a 2-0 win at 10-man Wolfsburg.
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A sixth straight league victory for Dortmund was not nearly as impressive as last weekend's crushing of rival Schalke, but again moved Lucien Favre's challengers to within a point of Bayern prior to the late kick-off between the defending champion and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Raphael Guerreiro struck twice in the Revierderby last weekend and was on target once more in this match, breaking the deadlock with his eighth Bundesliga goal of the season, his best return in a single league campaign.
Wolfsburg, which saw substitute Felix Klaus controversially dismissed with eight minutes remaining, stayed in the game and Dortmund toiled, but Achraf Hakimi's counter-attacking strike, assisted by the returning Jadon Sancho, clinched a precious triumph before Bayern visit Signal Iduna Park for a mammoth meeting on Wednesday (AEST).
With that distraction looming on the horizon, unchanged Dortmund scarcely troubled its host before the 32nd-minute opener came courtesy of Guerreiro's clinical left boot.
Wolfsburg was picked apart by neat work down the right that freed Thorgan Hazard at the byline, with a low centre missed by a tumbling Erling Haaland and instead reaching Guerreiro at the far post for a simple tap-in.
Hazard miscued from the edge of the area as the visitors pushed for a second before the break, yet they might have been pegged back within three minutes of the restart.
Mats Hummels — reportedly nursing a foot injury — made way for Emre Can at half-time, and Dortmund's reshuffled defence failed to halt Renato Steffen's run onto a smart Wout Weghorst pass, only for his powerful finish to clip the top of the crossbar.
Roman Burki swatted away a thumping Steffen volley as Wolfsburg maintained an improved second period, although Guerreiro drilled across the face of goal at the other end.
Dortmund soon settled the match as substitute Sancho raced into the final third and fed Hakimi for a simple second, Sancho's 16th assist of the season.
A video assistant referee (VAR) review saw Felix Klaus dismissed for a challenge on Manuel Akanji, bringing an end to any faint hopes of a Wolfsburg comeback.
No Dortmund supporter needs reminding of the next test at home on Wednesday (AEST). Wolfsburg is in action the same day with a similarly challenging encounter at Bayer Leverkusen.