Darmstadt 0 - 2 Borussia Dortmund: Dortmund move to within five points of leaders Bayern

Posted Thursday, March 03, 2016 by PA

Borussia Dortmund warmed up for the Klassiker with Bayern Munich at the weekend with a 2-0 win in Darmstadt that took them to within five points of the league leaders.

Adrian Ramos and Erik Durm scored for the Westphalians, who were playing their fifth game in 14 days but showed little sign of the strain as they dominated from start to finish.

Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel made no fewer than eight changes to his side with Roman Weidenfeller starting in goal and 17-year-old Felix Passlack handed his debut.

While Weidenfeller did not see much of the ball, with Dortmund dominating possession, Passlack was getting involved as the guests looked for gaps in the Darmstadt rearguard.

Despite finding themselves under pressure, Darmstadt still created the first big chance of the game 10 minutes before the interval with Sandro Wagner finding space for a shot which only just missed the left-hand post.

Two minutes later, Dortmund took the lead with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's header bringing a save out of Christian Mathenia, but he could only parry the ball out for Ramos to convert from close range.

Ramos tried to return the favour early in the second half but Aubameyang could not turn the ball in from only a handful of yards out.

Durm showed him how it is done from Gonzalo Castro's pass to double Dortmund's lead in the 53rd minute.

Aubameyang wasted another good opportunity just minutes later, but a third goal was not necessary for Dortmund, who set themselves up in style for Saturday's top-of-the-table clash with Bayern, which could see them reduce the gap between the sides to just two points.