Dortmund stage impressive second-half turnaround versus Hamburg, narrowing the lead over Bayern

When Daniel Heuer Fernandes managed to deflect Maximilian Beier’s close-range chance just seven minutes into the match, it seemed like a tough day ahead for Die Rothosen.

However, they shook off the initial threat and enjoyed a perfect opening period, as Philip Otele netted the first goal after William Mikelbrencis intercepted the ball from Daniel Svensson and passed it along the goal line for the Nigerian to finish easily.

Additional breakaway opportunities quickly arose for the away team, with Gregor Kobel doing enough to block Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer’s shot towards the near post, though the Ghanaian was ruled offside when he nodded in the follow-up corner.

Nico Schlotterbeck sent a header looping onto the crossbar for the hosts, and Hamburg capitalised shortly afterwards.

Fabio Vieira’s long-range attempt was pushed away by Kobel, but the on-loan Arsenal player regained possession to deliver an excellent pass to the unmarked Albert Sambi Lokonga, who chipped his shot into the top near corner from point-blank range.

A potential shift in momentum for Dortmund appeared possible at half-time as Warmed Omari fouled Beier inside the box, yet Felix Nmecha sent the penalty kick astray to the left of the upright.

The second period injected new confidence into the home side, and bringing on Serhou Guirassy and Fabio Silva boosted their forward momentum.

Their mounting pressure led to referee Matthias Jöllenbeck awarding another penalty when Mikelbrencis trod on Beier’s foot, and on this occasion Ramy Bensebaini converted confidently by placing it straight down the centre from 12 yards.

The scores were level just five minutes after that, with Guirassy seeing a pair of efforts from near distance, the latter crossing the line prior to Heuer Fernandes clearing it.

A powerful strike from Silva indicated Dortmund had more in store, and they duly sealed the remarkable recovery with six minutes remaining.

A third penalty was awarded after Miro Muheim controlled the ball with his hand in the penalty area, enabling Bensebaini to net once more with a precise placement into the bottom right corner.

Disappointment for Hamburg, ending their four-game unbeaten streak on the road, as Dortmund remain nine points behind top side Bayern with seven fixtures left.