Beier late show sends Dortmund top of Bundesliga

BERLIN: Maximilian Beier scored in the 80th minute to send Borussia Dortmund top of the Bundesliga after a hard-fought 1-0 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

In a game lacking clear chances, Jobe Bellingham came off the bench and had an instant impact, threading a clever pass for fellow substitute Beier to score.Bayern Munich can return to the top of the standings with a win at Freiburg on Sunday but will be without coach Vincent Kompany, who is being treated in hospital for a mystery virus after collapsing at training on Friday.

“We’ve got a great team. Those who aren’t playing from the start, they’re the finishers. They’re the ones who close out the match, who decide things,” Kovac said.

“Maxi struck that shot really well. I’m happy for the lad because he’s had a tough time lately.”The best opportunity of the first half fell to Serhou Guirassy with 15 minutes gone. The Guinean was one on one with Noah Atubolu but tried a soft chip, which the goalkeeper palmed away.

Just after the break, Guirassy headed a Joey Veerman corner against the bar.

Beier came on for the ineffective Fabio Silva with 22 minutes remaining. With 10 minutes left, he collected a Bellingham pass and curled in the winner from just inside the box

The narrow victory was Dortmund’s first in the league since mid-September and took Niko Kovac’s side three points clear atop the tableLudovit Reis grabbed Bremen’s other goal, while Anthony Caci and Lee Jae-sung scored for the hosts.

Fuellkrug now has eight goals this season, half of his total in his final campaign in Bremen in 2022/23, when he won the Bundesliga top-goalscorer award.

The Germany striker scored just three goals during an injury-hit 18-month spell at West Ham and just one in a six-month loan at AC Milan.

Bremen coach praised his in-form striker, telling reporters: “You can tell that he feels comfortable.