Dortmund win but Maresca outcast ends the year on zero Bundesliga goals

By Alessandro Schiavone at Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund

Signal Iduna Park

Bundesliga MD 15

Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Borussia Moenchengladbach

Goals: Brandt 10' , Beier 97'

Former Chelsea starlet Carney Chukwuemeka's Borussia Dortmund bagged the last three points of the calendar year thanks to a 2-0 Bundesliga win over Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday night.

Introduced in the 71st minute to replace goalscorer Julian Brandt, the man who quit Stamford Bridge for Signal Iduna Park in a £20m deal this summer after being deemed surplus to requirements by Enzo Maresca, yet agailed failed to break his league duck for the season. Not that he had any chances to change the narrarove as he came on at a critical time with the visitors chasing the leveller.

With Christmas just behind the corner, there was a festive feeling around the place and the cheerful Dortmund supporters' mood was further boosted by their players' lively display.

And they got the job done early with Brandt immaculately connecting with Niklas Süle's far-cross centre to  punish the rusty visitors and smash home the opener.

But Dortmund failed to kill the game off until the 97th minute!

Winger Karim Adeyemi, a player Chelsea are looking at [surely no surprise?] missed a sitter and then almost turned home Diks' clearance home only for goalie Moritz Nicolas to tip the unexpected shot over.

Late in the game, as Gladbach were chasing an equalizer, Maximilian Beier was presented with the chance to seal the deal through on goal but his shot lacked both the power and precision to rattle the keeper.

Yet he redeemed himself by slotting home in the 97th minute with the last kick of the game and the calendar year.

Finishing ahead of Bayern Munich will be a seriously difficult task for Niko Kovac's men, who are six points adrift having played a game more.

But one of Chukwueka's new year resolutions, and an achievable one at that, will be to erode the zero behind his goalscoring stats. Which he has already done in the Champions League and DFB Pokal. And then look to kick on. If he does that, the Rheinland Westfalen giants may just have enough to push Vincent Kompany all the way.