Two goals in three minutes, from Marco Reus and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, were enough to give Borussia Dortmund a fully deserved half-time lead at the SGL Arena. Adrian Ramos' tap-in made it 0-3, before Raul Bobadilla pulled one back. It seemed to be easy for BVB in the second half, but Tim Matavž' header them made things even more worrying. However, they hung on in the end for a 2-3 win.
Augsburg were coming into the game on the back of a 2-0 loss to Hoffenheim, with two swift counter attacks in five minutes out-doing the Bavarians. Unfortunately for Markus Weinzierl's side, home games don't come much tougher than against Borussia Dortmund. Jan Moravek and Alexander Esswein were deemed unfit, while Raul Bobadilla could only make the bench. Their were two changes from that defeat in Sinsheim, as Tim Matavž and Caiuby made way for Nikola Djurdjic and Shawn Parker's home debuts.
BVB had pressing injury issues of their own: Ilkay Gündogan, Marcel Schmelzer, Oliver Kirch, Nuri Sahin, Dong-Won Ji, Mats Hummels and Jakub Blaszczykowski were all missing for various reasons. Jürgen Klopp made three changes after the 0-2 defeat to Leverkusen; Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was shifted to play up-front on his own, with Ciro Immobile being replaced by Kevin Großkreutz. This let Dortmund play a more familiar 4-2-3-1 formation, with Roman Weidenfeller and Neven Subotic returning for Mitchell Langerak and Matthias Ginter. Despite the initial negativity, that was quickly disappearing as Shinji Kagawa neared a return to the Westfalenstadion.
Aubameyang, returning to the ground where he opened his BVB account with a hat-trick last year, was inches from getting on the end of a Lukas Piszczek cross. However, Klopp didn't have to wait too much longer for his side to open the scoring. After a re-call to the German national team today, it was Marco Reus who rubbished all doubts over his fitness. A trademark driving run meant he could exchange passes with Großkreutz, before taking it past Roger Klavan and slotting past Marwin Hitz.
A second followed soon after, with Reus involved again. One of the mosted wanted men in Europe swung over a tempting corner, with Klavan being out jumped by Sokratis and placing a header past Hitz. It was just his fourth ever Bundesliga goal, but nevertheless it was a magnificent finish to put Dortmund 0-2 up after fourteen minutes. The hosts almost issued an immediate response, as Tobias Werner darted past the BVB back-line. Unfortunately for Augsburg, Piszczek ate up the ground and pushed him wide of Weidenfeller's goal.
Milos Jojic and Großkreutz both had good opportunities to pull the trigger on the ege of the box, but neither could get a shot off. Similar to his right-hand side partner, Piszczek was absolutely everywhere. The Pole seemed set on covering every blade of grass and was there to make a vital, last-ditch challenge on Đurđić, who was receiving little or no service. Aubameyang went close again, forcing Hitz to get down well at his near post.
The rain wouldn't dampen Augsburg spirits, as the home fans were creating a great atmosphere. The BVB support were also extremely vocal and with the one-touch passing on the edge of the box, it left them wondering where this side was last week. Đurđić broke the Dortmund defensive line again, yet the Serb could only slide the ball wide of the advancing Weidenfeller and his goal. The game was flowing end-to-end, with Hitz being called upon to deny a troublesome Aubameyang with a terrific one-on-one stop. There was just one more chance in the first half, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, dangerous through-out the half, firing just wide from twenty yards.
At the start of the second-half, Großkreutz was slipped in by Reus, but he wanted the ball on his right foot and was tackled before he got the shot away. Markus Feulner and Halil Altintop then fired long range drives over the bar, as the hosts looked to gain some momentum. Aubameyang, who was leading the line well, tried to flick a cross into the goal, but his improvised finish flew just over.
The second period was a much improved showing from the Bavarians, who were much more involved in an attacking sense. Sven Bender made an appearance off the bench for BVB, which will delight many due to his importance at holding midfield. Adrian Ramos also made an appearance, replacing Kevin Großkreutz. The Gabonese international just could not get his mighty well-deserved goal, as Hitz denied him following a lightning counter.
The substitution proved worthwhile, as the Columbian was able to seal the three points. A Reus' corner fell to Mkhitaryan on the edge of the box, the Armenian hammered it goalward and Hitz made a great save, only for the ball to fall to Ramos. It was one of the more simple goals he'll score, but it'll have done his confidence the world of good to get of the mark in the Bundesliga.
A clean sheet was out of reach for Dortmund, as Raul Bobadilla quickly got on the scoresheet. Baba's cross missed Matavž, but made it's way to Raul Bobadilla who chested down and chipped over an onrushing Weidenfeller. Another substitute, Dominick Kohr, then put a fierce volley just over the bar. Mkhitaryan was then tripped by Klavan and no penalty was given, leading Klopp to berate the fourth official. It soon became the sub-show, when Tim Matavž brilliantly converted Baba's equally impressive cross. Tobias Werner forced a fine stop from Weidenfeller, but it was all too late from Augsburg as BVB secured the three points.
The win meant Borussia Dortmund were able to get their season back on track at the first available opportunity, with the Westphalians' attacking side of things looking back to their dangerous best. While slightly shaky in defence, Klopp will be extremely happy with the ease at which chances were created and the intensity of their play. Both were missing in the defeat to Leverkusen the previous matchday. After last year's eighth placed finish, it looks like it's back to the grind of a relegation for Augsburg. Weinzierl's men looked a shadow of their former selves for the whole of the first half. The second half was much more like what we're used to seeing from them and will give the fans hope that they can produce enough to steer clear of the bottom three.