Julian Brandt scored for the fourth successive league game as Borussia Dortmund moved top of the Bundesliga with a 1-0 victory at Hoffenheim.
Brandt used his back to divert Marco Reus’ free-kick into the net two minutes before half-time.
It was the attacking midfielder’s ninth goal of the season and stretches Dortmund’s winning run in all competitions to nine games.
Dortmund’s Marius Wolf also had a second-half effort disallowed by VAR.
Wolf steered Brandt’s pass into the top corner but after consulting his pitchside monitor, referee Martin Petersen ruled the goal out for Nico Schlotterbeck’s foul on Ihlas Bebou earlier in the move.
Jude Bellingham nearly doubled Dortmund’s lead in second-half added time but the England midfielder’s shot was tipped onto the post by Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.
The last time Borussia won their first seven Bundesliga games of a calendar year was in 2012 – the year they last won the league.
Bundesliga title rivals Bayern Munich and Union Berlin – who meet at the Allianz Arena on Sunday – are three points behind Dortmund with a game in hand, but Bayern’s vastly superior goal difference means they would return to the top of the table with a win.
Hoffenheim drop into the relegation play-off spot after slipping to a fifth successive league defeat.
Line-ups
Hoffenheim
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 1BaumannBooked at 57mins
- 5KabakBooked at 27minsSubstituted forBicakcicat 30′minutes
- 22VogtBooked at 90mins
- 25Akpoguma
- 3Kaderábek
- 16RudySubstituted forStillerat 78′minutes
- 40TohumcuSubstituted forDolbergat 65′minutes
- 11Angelino
- 14Baumgartner
- 9BebouSubstituted forAsllaniat 66′minutes
- 27Kramaric
Substitutes
- 4Bicakcic
- 10Dabbur
- 13Stiller
- 17Delaney
- 19Dolberg
- 20Becker
- 23Brooks
- 37Philipp
- 44Asllani
B Dortmund
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Kobel
- 17Wolf
- 25Süle
- 4Schlotterbeck
- 13Guerreiro
- 11ReusSubstituted forHummelsat 89′minutes
- 23Can
- 22BellinghamBooked at 70mins
- 19Brandt
- 9HallerSubstituted forÖzcanat 77′minutes
- 43Bynoe-GittensSubstituted forMalenat 64′minutes
Substitutes
- 6Özcan
- 7Reyna
- 8Dahoud
- 15Hummels
- 20Modeste
- 21Malen
- 24Meunier
- 30Passlack
- 33Meyer
- Referee:
- Martin Petersen
- Attendance:
- 30,150
Live Text
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Match ends, TSG Hoffenheim 0, Borussia Dortmund 1.
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Second Half ends, TSG Hoffenheim 0, Borussia Dortmund 1.
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Attempt missed. Ermin Bicakcic (TSG Hoffenheim) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Angeliño with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, TSG Hoffenheim. Conceded by Gregor Kobel.
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Attempt saved. Ermin Bicakcic (TSG Hoffenheim) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Andrej Kramaric with a cross.
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Foul by Salih Özcan (Borussia Dortmund).
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Fisnik Asllani (TSG Hoffenheim) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Attempt missed. Donyell Malen (Borussia Dortmund) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Raphaël Guerreiro.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Delay in match because of an injury Donyell Malen (Borussia Dortmund).
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Kevin Vogt (TSG Hoffenheim) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Corner, Borussia Dortmund. Conceded by Oliver Baumann.
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Attempt saved. Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Emre Can.
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Attempt saved. Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Salih Özcan with a headed pass.
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Substitution, Borussia Dortmund. Mats Hummels replaces Marco Reus.
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Attempt saved. Raphaël Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Marco Reus.
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Attempt missed. Fisnik Asllani (TSG Hoffenheim) header from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Angeliño following a corner.
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Corner, TSG Hoffenheim. Conceded by Niklas Süle.
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Attempt blocked. Fisnik Asllani (TSG Hoffenheim) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Christoph Baumgartner.
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Corner, TSG Hoffenheim. Conceded by Nico Schlotterbeck.
