Following a dogged opening half, the 81,365 spectators at a sold-out SIGNAL IDUNA PARK witnessed two outstanding moments of individual quality from substitute Gittens, who scored the goals of the evening in the 72nd and 93rd minutes – and sealed three rather fortunate points against Eintracht, who had the better chances overall.

The match & analysis:

Following a hectic start, Frankfurt settled into the game earlier than Dortmund and had their fifth corner by the 17th minute (BVB had had none by that point). The Black & Yellows did not generate tempo and Eintracht always had enough time to get themselves into position and counter the build-up attempts with aggressive defending. Only in the 41st minute did Brandt put Frankfurt keeper Trapp to the test for the first time with a long-range short towards the near post. It was one of only three shots in the first half (Frankfurt five). The attacking efforts were too transparent and too static.

After a pacey cross from Knauff, the ball bounced unexpectedly in front of Anton's feet – but it fortunately went wide of the post (79). It marked the start of an exciting finale. In the four minutes of stoppage time, BVB cut out a dangerous situation in their own penalty area that saw Bensebaini clearly win the ball against Matanovic, then Gittens broke forward and beat Trapp to complete the scoring at 2-0 (90+3).

Outlook:

Matchday 2 will see Borussia Dortmund visit SV Werder Bremen. Kick-off next Saturday is at 15:30 CEST. After that, the league campaign will pause for the international break. BVB will then continue their season with a home match against 1. FC Heidenheim on Friday 13 September.