Andrichs goal propels Leverkusen to fifth after strong win against Dortmund

Dortmunds four consecutive league triumphs had placed them in a solid spot far ahead of the rivals, even though their ambitious push for the championship now looked out of reach.

Thus the pressure fell on the visiting team, who continued to aim for a spot in the top four following a somewhat disappointing defence of their title.

The match began slowly with neither team managing a shot on goal, yet Dortmund might have gone ahead with their initial attempt on target when Loic Bade cleared Daniel Svenssons header off the line.

Three of Leverkusens previous four Bundesliga games had produced more than 5.5 goals, but it seemed that pattern would not repeat as both teams resorted to long range efforts.

Still, one such ambitious attempt became the breakthrough, as Andrich won the ball and unleashed a firm low drive into the far corner to give the away side the lead just before the interval.

A brief spell of Dortmund dominance after the restart quickly turned into a tussle in midfield, leading both coaches to make substitutions for fresh ideas, and replacement Patrik Schick soon blasted a near range effort from an acute angle directly at Gregor Kobel.

Leverkusen dominated as the contest approached its conclusion, with a subdued atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park failing to ignite the home team.

As the clock ticked down, a clever spin enabled Serhou Guirassy to fire from close range, but he struck the ball against the crossbars underside, moments before Julian Brandt curled a late shot just past the post in added time to confirm the outcome.

While the defeat was frustrating, it marks Dortmunds first loss to a team outside the top five at the start of the day this season (W17, D4), and their eight point lead should secure second place by the campaigns end.

For Leverkusen though, the victory holds great significance, lifting them to fifth and leaving them only one point shy of the Champions League spots with their first consecutive league successes since January.